Phantom of a Thief
by peppymint
Summary: As Fyliwion recently pointed out, the Black Organization doesn't leave loose ends. Unfortunately for them, Kaito got away. Watch as the phantom thieves of the world train him to be the best that he can be. Main crossover Lupin III, mentions of others.
1. Chapter 1

_I own nothing and no one_

_First of all, I would like to thank everyone who voted on the poll, even if you didn't vote for this one. It is nice to feel appreciated, and hey there is always next time. I will probably put the poll back up once I have finished this fic._

_As has become my habit, I have posted a picture on my insanejournal. So if you want to see it, go check it out. Though it won't really become relevant for who knows how many chapters. Right now Kaito is only ten years old._

_One more thing, this is a multi-crossover, which means many different series will appear. Most of them briefly, but still, I recognize that you might not know about all of them. Therefore, I will be posting a small summary of said series at the beginning of the chapters. Read it if you want. The first example is below. I will try to do better on the next one._

_Magic Kaitou: At the age of sixteen, the main character, Kaito Kuroba is in his house thinking about his deceased Father when he falls through a secret passageway. Finding himself in a strange room, the teenager discovers that not only was his Dad the famous magician thief Kaitou Kid, but that his death was not an accident. After taking up his Father's mantle Kaito searches for the Pandora Gem, which a mysterious organization murdered Toichi Kuroba for. He intends to see justice done, no matter what it takes._

**Chapter One**

Kaito squirmed, fear lending urgency to the boy's movements as he tried to loosen the ropes that tied his hands behind his back. It was so dark. The blindfold that covered his eyes made it impossible to see anything. It didn't affect his nose though; he could smell the smoke. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what that meant. The house was on fire.

It had started out as a wonderful night. His Father's old assistant had come over for dinner. Jii-san had even found the time to help him with a few magic tricks he had been having trouble with. Then the strange men had come. Jii had tried to fight, so had his Mom, but it hadn't been enough. The last thing Kaito remembered was something coming down hard on the back of his head. He had awoken like this.

A faint snarl escaped the brunette's lips. He had to get free. It was difficult, but Kaito forced himself to still, to remember everything his Father had taught him. He gave his arms a final twist. There, he felt some give in the rope. The boy jerked his hands free, reaching up to rip off the blindfold in the same motion.

Kaito's sapphire eyes widened with horror, but not because of the flames that were already beginning to lick at the walls. It was because of the two still figures lying in the middle of the living room floor. "Kaa-san!" he shouted, scrambling to her side.

A spark of hope lit the woman's previously despairing eyes and she managed to lever herself halfway up on one arm, ignoring the pool of blood that spread around her. Jii didn't move at all. He was beyond that. "Kaito," she whispered. "Baby."

Another day the young magician would have protested that nickname. His Mother hadn't called him that since before he started school. Now though, he couldn't care less what she called him, as long as she lived. He had already lost one parent. He didn't want to lose her too.

Desperately Kaito tried to stem the flow of blood that came from the gaping wound in his Mother's abdomen. "J-just," he stuttered. "Just hold on Mom. I'll get you out of here. Everything is going to be fine," he tried to reassure her. Everything had to be fine.

Sadly the woman shook her head. It wouldn't be fine. She was already dead, and she knew it. But her son, he still had a chance. She closed her hand around the smaller figure's wrist, pulling him closer. "Listen to me Kaito," she said seriously. "You must do exactly as I say."

Kaito did not hesitate to agree, his eyes widening with every word his Mother whispered in his ear. It was a lot to take in. Each word was chosen carefully, giving the maximum amount of information in the least amount of time.

"Do you understand my son?" she asked.

The boy nodded.

"Good, now go," the woman ordered. "Leave me."

"No!" Kaito immediately protested. "I won't go without you."

"You will," she ordered weakly, the strength draining from her body. At that moment, the woman stopped fighting her fate. The only thing that had kept her going this long was her son's safety. She collapsed, falling the few inches back to her ground, her eyes glazing over as she took her last breathe.

"Kaa-san," the boy said softly, his blue eyes fearful. He shook her. "Kaa-san wake up! Wake up!" He shot one hand to her throat. Nothing. She wouldn't wake up. She would never wake up again. Part of Kaito was in denial. His mother wasn't dead. She couldn't be dead.

For a few precious seconds, the magician just sat there while the house burned around him. Then a voice from deep within his being spoke. **Get up, **it ordered. **If you want to live you must get up now**. Young as he was, Kaito was a survivor, and he wasn't ready to leave the world behind just yet. He forced himself to his feet.

Quickly, the boy spun, running into the hallway to where Toichi Kuroba's portrait hung. Following his Mother's directions precisely, he carefully pushed a certain spot. Just like she had said, a door swung open. Kaito was just about to enter when he hesitated, glancing back over one shoulder.

His Father's notebooks, he realized. They were sitting on the end table, right where he and Jii had left them earlier. Those books detailed the famous magician's life's work. The ceiling creaked ominously, but Kaito didn't let that deter him. He darted back, sweeping the stack of books into his empty backpack before hauling it off the floor. It was heavy, but he would not leave them. They were all he had left of his Tou-san.

Kaito barely made it make to the trap door in time. The ceiling collapsed behind him, the burning rafters crashing to the floor. The boy cried out, a few pieces of flying debris impacting against his back. He stumbled, falling the last few steps down into the Kaitou Kid's lair, before rising to his feet. He coughed harshly; the smoke was starting to get to him. His eyes burned.

The room was amazing, but the boy was in no mood to appreciate it. He went straight to a nearby table, picking up a loaded tape recorder and slipping that into his bag as well. The rooms other wonders were not given a second glance. Kaito went to the right wall and grabbed a section of the bookcase, directly below the carving of a red horse. Then he pulled. It slid along the ground easily on near invisible rollers, revealing the passage.

There was only one problem. Kaito pulled his hand back from the door with a yelp of pain. It was hot. The metal was already at a high enough temperature to do real harm to human flesh. Determinedly, the magician looked around for something to insulate his hands with. He grabbed an ornate looking dress out of the closet, set it against his shoulder, and pushed with all his might.

To the boy's great relief, the passage opened. He crawled in, dragging his book bag behind him before closing the door. He had no doubts that in time, this room would be destroyed as well, but at least he could delay it as long as possible. Sweat ran down his back. It was so hot. He could see the flesh on his exposed arms turning a bright red. It hurt.

Kaito wasn't sure how far he crawled. It seemed to take forever. Finally though, he reached the other end. Cautiously the boy climbed up a ladder, lifting the trap door a few inches to look around. Seeing no one, he pulled himself out of the passageway. It was a good place. Thick bushes shielded the hideaway from view.

In the distance, he could see flames shooting up into the sky. Kaito knew it was a bad idea, but he couldn't stop himself from going towards the commotion. It took a little time to get back. Peeking his head around the last corner, he noticed his house was now completely engulfed in flames. The firefighters weren't even trying to save it, instead focusing on the houses to the right and left.

Quite a crowd had gathered to watch. So many that no one noticed one small boy hugging the shadows. Kaito wrapped his arms around himself, biting down hard on his lower lip. He must not make a sound. He must not attract anyone's attention. Then he saw her.

It was Aoko. His wild haired friend was clinging to her Father's hand, tears streaming down her cheeks. The police inspector looked grim as he regarded the burning building.

She was crying for him, the magician realized. An uncomfortable surge of pain shot through his heart. Aoko shouldn't be crying because of him. Not ever. Kaito took half a step forward before catching himself. No.

No one must know he was still alive. Not even Aoko. The knowledge would only put her in danger, and he didn't want that. Kaito stood there for a moment more, memorizing every last plane of his best friend's face. Then he turned away, disappearing into the night. It was better this way.

_PTPTPTPT_

_Three things. First, if your house is on fire, get out immediately. Kaito should not have gone back, but he is still a kid and doesn't have perfect judgment. Second, he is not crazy. The voice was his subconscious, nothing more. Third, I apologize to Jii. Feel sort of like I killed him and then just forgot about it. But I figure, Mother v. family friend, Kaito's reaction was reasonable._

_I will try to update a minimum of once a week but no promises. I know better than that. No matter how long it takes though, the story will be finished. All my stories get finished. It is one of my fanfiction writing resolutions. Check it out if you don't believe me._


	2. Chapter 2

_I own no one and nothing_

_Am a bit disappointed about the response, or lack thereof, to the first chapter. But hopefully this one will get more. Figure it is still in the process of gaining a reader base. And now for the crossover summary_

_Lupin III: Arsene Lupin the third is one of the world's greatest thieves. He steals what he wants, when he wants it. Though he is a flirt and a letch, he is not totally without morals. He and his gang often foil more serious crimes throughout the series. He has two partners. Goemon who is a renegade samurai, and a professional gunman named Jigen._ _There is also his treacherous on again, off again love interest Fujiko. They are pursued by the dedicated Inspector Zenigata of Interpol, whom Lupin refers to as Pops._

**Chapter Two**

The young boy stumbled with a combination of exhaustion and pain. The hooded sweatshirt, which Kaito had pulled out of a dumpster, hid both his features, and the burns that ran up his arms. The ratty material smelled a little, but it was worth the sacrifice. It also helped to ward off the cold night air.

His thoughts were in a whirl. In the past twenty-four hours the young magician's world had been turned upside down and spat inside out. Desperately Kaito tried to get his thoughts into some sort of order. This was not the time to panic, he reminded himself.

That would not help his situation. 1) His Father had been a thief. 2) His Father had been murdered. A pair of sapphire eyes flashed dangerously, an odd look on someone his age. 3) Both his Mom and Jii were now dead, victims of the same group.

The brunette clearly remembered his Mother's last words. They were burned into Kaito's perfect memory. Just like everything else he had ever seen or done since the day he had first gained awareness. Though for once, the magician almost wished they weren't. 4) Those bastards thought he was dead. 5) They must never know he wasn't.

Kaito bit his lip as he remembered her next instructions. It was a phone number and a message for someone named Lupin. Evidently the guy had been a friend of his Father's. He wasn't sure if he trusted this man, this stranger. But really, what choice did he have. He was only ten years old, and now he was an orphan. What else could he do?

Carefully, the magician crept across the street towards a pay phone. It hadn't been hard to get the money for it. Picking pockets was easier than he had thought it would be. It helped that he hadn't been stupid about choosing his target. Though to be honest, Kaito did feel bad about depriving the teenager of what had probably been the guy's allowance. He dialed, shifting uncomfortably as the phone rang.

Halfway across the world, Arsene Lupin the Third looked down with surprise as his cell phone rang. There were only a handful of people in the entire world who had this number. "_Hello_."

There was a moment of silence while Kaito processed the foreign word. "Hi," a young, timid voice answered back. He just hoped the other spoke fluent Japanese. Otherwise this could be awkward. His prayers were answered.

Lupin frowned. This person was not one of them. "Hey kid," he asked. "How did you get this number?"

"My Mom gave it to me. She said to tell you it is a favor for the man with the kitchen sink in his hat." Kaito mentally crossed his fingers as he said that. It sounded like nonsense to him. Really, who kept a kitchen sink in their hat?

A pair of dark eyes widened in surprise. Kid?! It had been a little over two years since his friend had abruptly broken off contact. He had long since assumed the other was dead. It hurt that he had never found out what happened.

"Where is your Mom now?" the thief asked softly, hoping he was wrong. There were not very many reasons for a call like this, and all of them were bad.

Kaito sniffed, trying hard not to cry. "She's dead. They killed her."

"Just hold on kiddo," he said grabbing a pen and paper. "I'll be there as soon as I can. You're in Japan right?"

"Yes," the young boy answered. "In Osaka." He had snuck onto the train when no one was looking. He had thought it was a good idea to get as far from his house as possible.

"Do you have somewhere to stay tonight?" Lupin asked. Kid's kid sounded young, pre-teens definitely.

"Yes," the boy answered quickly.

Now that was a blatant lie, and Lupin knew it. But he let it go. After all, there was nothing he could do. Not yet. "Wait until tomorrow afternoon, then call me back," he ordered. "I'll come and get you then."

"'Kay," Kaito agreed. "Bye," he quickly hung up the phone glancing around the area to make certain he hadn't been seen. Now where to stay he considered. After a moments thought he had his answer. One of the libraries was open twenty-four hours, and if he was careful there was no reason he couldn't use the computer to find out more about the Kaitou Kid. But first he needed a hat. He was pretty sure the library had video cameras.

Lupin snapped the phone shut, quickly rising to his feet. "Pack up," he shouted, sticking his head into the next room where his partners were playing a game of poker. "And hurry, we're going to Japan."

The trio's plane was taking off be the time the subject of their abrupt departure came up. Jigen exhaled a plume of smoke, flicking the end of his cigarette off into an ashtray. "So," his low voice inquired. "Any reason we are dropping a perfectly good job, that we have spent weeks planning, to fly off to Japan." He shot Lupin an expectant look.

Truth be told, Goemon was waiting for the answer as well. The only reason he had not objected earlier was the other's unusually serious countenance. Lupin hadn't even spared a glance at the leggy young blond who had checked them out of the motel. It was obvious that whatever had happened, it was big.

Lupin looked up from the glass of brandy he had poured himself. "We're going to rescue Kid's kid," he informed them flatly, throwing back a large gulp of the alcohol. It burned as it slid down his throat.

Jigen's eyebrows rose. "Kid, like Kaitou Kid?" he asked. Now there was a name out of the past. Their first meeting had been unforgettable. Though it had taken him many years to see the humor of the situation, not like Lupin.

The former mobster had gotten along with the other well enough, even if he hadn't agreed with the magician thief's life philosophy. Jigen had warned him many times that his non-violence policy would just end up getting him killed. He had been right, though he wished he hadn't been.

"Yep," Lupin answered, taking another drink. His dark gaze was firmly locked on the amber liquid. He desperately wanted to get drunk, though he knew this wasn't the time. Pointedly he set the cup down.

"More to the point," Goemon put in. "Why does the child need to be rescued?"

Lupin's eyes darkened. "You mean besides the fact he is now an orphan," he laughed. It was a brittle sound. "Though I suppose it could be worse. From what the boy said, and didn't say, he nearly became a corpse." That did not sit well with the thief, and he wasn't the only one.

Jigen's lips thinned as he checked his gun's safety and Goemon's hand dropped to the hilt of his sword. Neither of them believed in preying on children. "How young is he?" one asked.

"Too young," Lupin whispered looking out the window. "Too damn young." The rest of the flight was taken in silence.

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_Another chapter done_

_Hope you liked it_

_And please review_

_I am going to write up Lupin and Toichi's first meeting_

_But my idea is only half formed for now_


	3. Chapter 3

_I own no one and nothing_

**Chapter Three**

Lupin glanced at his watch, resisting the urge to fidget. "Where is he?" the thief hissed. True, he had talked to the boy not an hour ago. But an hour could be a very long time. Especially for a child alone on the streets, who knows what could have happened?

Then there was the fact that the trio was starting to get weird looks. Lupin couldn't imagine why. I mean, three strange men standing in the shadows of a park, nope, nothing suspicious about that at all. If he had known where to look, the thief would have been gone already. "The kid should be here," Arsene said worriedly.

"Perhaps," Goemon said softly. "He already is." His two partners turned to stare at him. In response, the swordsman looked up. "Have you forgotten Lupin," he said. "That Kid-kun favored the sky over the earth."

The pair followed Goemon's gaze, Lupin's jaw dropping when they spotted the boy. He was sitting on a branch, a good twenty feet above their heads. How the heck had he gotten up there? The thief wondered. He could of done it sure, but he was a lot bigger.

"Hey," the boy greeted, his blue eyes wary.

"Hey yourself," Lupin replied. "What are you doing up there?"

A mistrustful look was shot the thief's way, the boy making no move to answer. "Who are they?" Kaito asked instead. From the group's conversation he had gathered that the man in the red jacket was Lupin, but that didn't tell him anything about the other two. He had thought the man would be alone.

An uncomfortable feeling settled in Lupin's stomach. It wasn't right for someone this kid's age to be so suspicious. But he was, and the thief doubted the boy was going to voluntarily move so much as a single inch before he had his answers.

True, Goemon could retrieve him easily if it came to that. Considering the circumstances though, it would be better if the kid came down himself. "They are my partners. This is Jigen," Lupin introduced pointing toward the bearded man. "And the samurai is Goemon." He paused to let the boy, whose name he still didn't know, think over the new information. "You going to come down now?" he asked.

Kaito considered it for a moment before nodding. His Mother had trusted this man, so he would to. His small hands clamped around the branch he was sitting on and the magician allowed himself to fall backwards.

Even years later Lupin would deny it. But he just about had a heart attack at that moment. The thief need not have worried though. His charge was in no danger. Kaito had grabbed the rope he had secured to the back of the tree earlier and wrapped his legs around it. Easily using his lower body strength to control his drop.

Though the brunette ended up landing in Goemon's arms instead of on the ground. The swordsman easily beating the speed of the child's descent. Kaito yelped in pain as his arms and hands hit the man's chest, prompting the samurai to quickly put him down.

A look of concern crossed Lupin's features as he knelt next to the boy. "Hey kiddo? You hurt?" It was something he hadn't really considered. Though in retrospect, he should have.

Wordlessly Kaito held out his hands, allowing the other to get a good look.

The three thieves inhaled sharply at the sight of the blisters. They looked bad. Unless something was done soon, they might even scar. To be honest, the trio was a bit surprised the kid wasn't throwing a fit. Most people his age would have. "What happened?" Lupin questioned softly, gently examining the wounds.

It took every bit of the training his Father had instilled in him not to break down. "There was a fire," Kaito replied emotionlessly. "No one knows I made it out. They left me tied up."

Lupin felt sick. He wasn't a saint, far from it. Still, leaving a child to burn alive. Goemon's grip on his katana was so tight his knuckles had turned white. Those dishonorable curs, he thought to himself. If he ever got the chance his blade would cut some very unworthy objects. Jigen's thoughts went along a similar line.

The thief took a deep breath, struggling to keep his true feeling off his face. "All right then kiddo. . ."

"Kaito," the child corrected him. "My name is Kaito Kuroba."

Lupin nodded in agreement. "Kaito-kun then. We are going to play a game. Just like pretend, okay?"

The magician cocked his head to one side. "You want me to act like I'm your son," he reasoned. "Does that mean you want me to speak like you?" Kaito asked in a vaguely French accent.

Jigen muffled a laugh. "Yep," he said. The boy was definitely Kid's kid. He looked up at Lupin. "What's the plan boss?"

"First," the master thief answered. "We get him out of here. We can figure out something more permanent later."

"No need," Goemon put in. "He can stay at my home." The Kage Clan was a secretive bunch, which was how they had kept the old ways alive. But there was no way they would deny sanctuary to a child. His wife, Hitomi, would kill them if they even considered it.

Kaito looked at the man hesitantly. "Are you sure?" he asked, dragging his feet a little. "I don't want to be a bother."

"It is no bother," the samurai assured him. "My own son is just a few years older than you. It would do Huyu good to have someone his own age around." There were not many children among the Kage. They were a small clan.

Goemon was pleased that Huyu was interested in the art of the sword. His son had talent; he might even surpass him one day. He was also dedicated to his studies, a little too dedicated honestly. He didn't do anything but train.

The trip through the city was nerve-racking. No complications arose however. The thieves had thought about spending the night in a hotel somewhere to clean Kaito up, before disregarding the idea. There was no reason to take chances. Every moment they stayed in this area was a risk.

The small group was just about to the board a plane Jigen had acquired from an old yukaza contact when Kaito heard a soft coo. The magician turned to see a dove, not just any dove either. "Crown," he whispered in disbelief.

The dove fluttered down from its perch, landing in Kaito's arms. He wrapped his arms gently around the bird, only the knowledge of his own strength stopping him from hugging Crown so hard she suffocated.

There was another coo, then another. A dozen more birds descended from the sky, landing on their beloved owner. "They got out," Kaito breathed. "They all got out." He didn't know how they had done it, and he didn't really care. All that mattered was that they had.

Kaito broke down, his legs going out from under him. He sobbed. Streams of tears running down his cheeks s the events of the last two days caught up with him all at once. Mentally the boy apologized to his Tousan. Just this once, he could not maintain a poker face. Crown slipped out of his arms to nuzzle his hair, providing her own brand of comfort.

The thieves just watched in silence. They had expected this to happen sooner or later. Finally Jigen sighed, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. "I guess this means we are taking the birds too?" The expression on Lupin and Goemon's face was enough of an answer. Of course they were.

_PTPTPTPT_

_Right now people may seem a bit out of character, but I do have reasons. Kaito is a grief stricken ten year old, and the Lupin Gang are tuning it down because he is a grief stricken ten year old. Things will change later._

_On another note, if you are interested in highlander go check out my one-shot "Lost and Found." I am starting to get a bit depressed. It has been added to two communities but I haven't received a single review. Even the essay I wrote for COMM class got reviewed. _


	4. Chapter 4

_I own nothing and no one_

**Chapter Four**

"Kaito-kun," Goemon gently shook the sleeping child. "We're here, it's time to get up now." The boy had finally fallen asleep just as they were getting off the plane, and none of the men had had the heart to wake him.

A pair of blue eyes snapped open. For a moment, Kaito looked absolutely terrified. Then awareness returned, his expression smoothing over as his poker face came up. The magician crawled out of the jeep, examining the complex as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "This is where you live?" he asked somewhat awed. It was a lot bigger than his parent's house.

"Hai," Goemon answered, reaching out to take the child's hand while Lupin and Jigen grabbed their bags from the trunk. "It belongs to my wife's family." As the small group walked up the darkened drive, Kaito was oblivious to the eyes that watched them from the trees, though the adults were not.

"Anata," a voice spoke from the shadows. "You are home early."

Kaito meeped, ducking behind Lupin as the woman walked gracefully forward. She was gorgeous. Her raven black hair hung loose, brushing the top of her sleeping kimono, her dark eyelashes only emphasizing the aqua pupils of her eyes. Looking at her, no outsider would have guessed that Hitomi Kage-Goemon was a skilled kunoichi. The best her clan had produced in nearly a century. But she was.

Goemon's eyes sparked with passion as he stepped forward to kiss his wife chastely on the cheek. "Not even the stars remain the same forever," he stated philosophically. She gave him a look, which caused him to quickly amend his words. "Something came up."

Nodding, Hitomi looked past him. "And who is this?" she inquired softly. The shinobi lookouts had told her of the boy's presence long before the group had arrived at the house. She loved children, no doubt about that. Still, her husband and his friends were not the type to bring home strays. It was a curious situation.

The young magician swallowed hard, gathering his nerve and approaching. A twist of his fingers and a red rose sprouted from mid air, it was a trick he could pull off in his sleep. "I'm Kaito Kuroba," he introduced himself. "You're very pretty miss." The boy had learned his lesson about calling young women obasan. His Dad's former student had been _scary. _He almost shuddered in memory of the expression on the actress' face.

The kunoichi threw a questioning look at Goemon, who leaned forward to whisper in his wife's ear. After a moment she gasped, her eyes turning sympathetic. "Oh you poor dear," she leaned down to hug Kaito, who tried not to tense. "Let's get you inside. You'll catch cold, standing out here"

Jigen gracelessly plopped down in one of the chairs, trying to fight back a yawn. He was getting too old for this shit. It was tempting to light up a smoke, but not tempting enough to risk Hitomi's wrath. Nothing left an impression like losing a lit cigarette to a throwing star. Even now he swore the metal had brushed his lips.

The gunman looked around the room. Noting the changes that had occurred since he had been there last. "So where's the kid?" he asked. Huyu idolized his Father, so it was a bit surprising they hadn't been ambushed by now. He should have kept his mouth shut.

An aqua glare froze Jigen where he sat. "My son is asleep. Where Kaito-kun should be." Men, the woman huffed to herself. It was lucky they had her around. She couldn't imagine the trio trying to take care of the boy themselves. It would be a disaster.

"I got it," Lupin put in. "Be back in a few." He led Kaito down the hall, to where the guest bedrooms were, snagging a spare sleeping kimono on the way. It was a little big, but it would work. He tucked the kid in, turning to leave.

"Err, Lupin-san."

The man paused. "Yes."

Kaito squirmed a little, lowering his gaze to the blankets. "You're a thief right?," he said. "Like my Father was?"

Arsene studied the boy. Kaito was good at hiding his feeling considering his age. But he wasn't quite good enough. "Yes I am," he said softly.

A pair of small hands twisted the sheets. "Could you tell me about him?" Kaito asked hesitantly. There were so many things he wondered about his Father. Things he might never get the answers to. That didn't mean he wouldn't try though.

"All right," Lupin answered, sitting in the edge of a bed. His dark eyes went a bit distant as he looked into the past. Then he grinned, it was an expression the boy found very familiar. His Tousan used to look like that. Right before he pulled one of his tricks on an unsuspecting victim.

"Once upon a time," the man began. "There were two thieves. They weren't just ordinary thieves though," he told Kaito, winking. "They were the best. Legends in their own rights." As Lupin spoke, his words wove a fantasy world around the pair.

_Lupin had known the Kaitou Kid was in New York. The entire world had known. It wasn't like the magician thief had been subtle about his intentions. Arsene had to admit he was a little curious about the other, but he had more important matters to attend to. Business should always be put before pleasure. _

_Unless of course said business involves a very beautiful woman. However that was a different story, for when Kaito was older, or if Lupin's partners had their ways, never. They had long since lost count of the number of times a pair of pretty legs had nearly gotten them killed. _

_Regardless, the trio had been too busy planning their own heist to pay attention to what Kid was doing. In retrospect, that was a mistake, a big one. Though things did turn out okay in the end. Later, much later, they would look back on the incident and laugh._

_I mean really, what were the odds. Two different professional thieves, planning to rob the same place, on the same night, it sounded like something out of a suspense novel. That was what happened though. Which of course threw everyone's plans off kilter. _

_Kid tackled the other thief, the two of them going down in a tumble of limbs as they rolled off the edge of the catwalk, into a secluded section of the museum. The magician looked pissed. "Don't shot at my inspector!" _

_Lupin struggled to break free, gaining an elbow in the eye for his troubles. "It is not like I was going to hit him," he objected. "Just make him back off a bit." He moved the gun back in line for another shot at the hanging tapestry over where the man had been and pulled the trigger. Bang! A line of little white flags came out of the barrel. He swore as Kid knocked his feet back out from under him._

"_I don't care if you didn't intend to hit him. I still don't like it." The magician pinned the other's arms behind his back, only to find the situation quickly reversed. Lupin found himself holding a pair of fake arms as Kid wiggled free. This went on for some time._

"_There they are!" an officer shouted, pointing at the pair. "Get them!"_

_The two thieves paused, glancing at each other. "Err, truce," Lupin offered. Kid quickly agreed. They scrambled to their feet and ran, a horde of screaming officers right on their heels, at least at first. _

_The pair peeked out from behind the camouflaged sheets Kid had pulled out of somewhere as their pursuers disappeared around a corner. Each of them let out a deep breath, before they both smirked. Ah yes, the joys of watching the police make complete fools of themselves, there was nothing like it. Their relief was short lived._

"_Kid!" Nakamori shouted. "You're under arrest." He looked especially smug. This would show those stuck up Americans. A full half of the Kaitou Kid taskforce was standing behind him._

_The duo turned to go the other way, only to find that avenue likewise blocked. A sharp grin crossed Zenigata's face as he pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "I've got you this time Lupin." He had somehow snagged a number of FBI agents. As one, the two groups lunged at their respective preys._

_It didn't work so well. The officers soon found themselves on the defensive. First there were smoke bombs. Then flash bombs, scarves, confetti, flowers, sharpened cards, and a whole slew of other objects. The magician was pulling out all the stops. A few officers disappeared only to be found hours later wandering around the Statue of Liberty in a dazed manner._

_Kid had even been so kind as to lend Lupin his spare slingshot and some interesting ammunition. The thief was enjoying himself immensely, Zenigata taking the brunt of his attack._

"_For Christ's sake," the now multi-colored Inspector Zenigata swore, taking refuge behind the Egyptian Display. He was starting to look back on some of Lupin's tricks with fondness. How did Nakamori put up with this madman? "What else does he have in there? The kitchen sink?"_

_Kid gave the man an innocent look. "Well now that you mention it . . ."_

"So your Father swept off his hat and," Lupin paused, glancing down at his charge. The boy was asleep. Oh well, he could finish the story latter. His dark eyes softened as he brushed a bit of stray hair out of the boy's face. "Night kiddo," the thief whispered.

Lupin smoothly got to his feet and moved to join the other adults in the parlor. Not a single board creaked under his feet. Impressive, considering it was a nightingale floor. There was a great deal they needed to discuss.

_PTPTPTPT_

_Sorry if I am boring you_

_I thought about skipping ahead a bit_

_But then I realized Kaito's integration into the family is important_

_And you all will need to know it for later_

_I'll try to get through it as quickly as I can, and then the cool stuff will begin_


	5. Chapter 5

_I own no one and nothing_

**Chapter Five**

It had been a couple days since Kaito had arrived at his new home. He had met quite a few people; they had all been very kind to him. Only the clan patriarch knew the full details of why Goemon-san and his wife had taken the child in, but it was fairly common knowledge within the small community that he was an orphan who needed protection.

The magician had also learned a bit of the clan's history. Under different circumstances, the pre-teen would have though it was cool. Who was he kidding? It was cool, an entire clan of ninja, real ninja.

Kaito hadn't thought there were people like that anymore. Evidently there were though, just a few scattered clans and families who kept the traditional knowledge and skills alive. Goemon-san was a samurai, although a renegade.

From the way the story went, it had all started around the time of the Japanese revolutionary war. During the time of the Meiji, more and more Europeans had come to their country. With them they had brought new technologies and ideas.

That wasn't what bothered the Kage Clan. The world was constantly changing, and those who could not change with it perished. The ninja understood that. What did bother them was that the old ways were being forgotten, instead of simply being integrated with the new.

So, the family had retreated to a large plot in the mountains. The land had been gifted to the Kage Clan for their services during the war. Several other clans, being of a similar opinion, had chosen to come with them. Together the group had formed this small traditional community.

Which is not to say the secretive clan had withdrawn from the world entirely. They had learned more modern skills to combine with those passed down from their forefathers. One of Hitomi-san's cousins was a skilled hacker in addition to being a master of stealth.

It was he who had used his own technological brand of magic to slip the papers, which made Kai Kage a member of the clan, into the system. Though Goemon-san had been quick to assure the child that he was still a Kuroba. The fact that they had adopted him didn't change that. It just made him more, and to the Kage, family was everything.

Honestly, young as he was, Kaito understood why they had done it. He needed a legal identity. The boy was just glad they had discussed it with him first. A convulsive shudder ran up his spine. His new name could have ended up written to mean 'the ocean,' that big wet thing that had _fish_ in it. He had quickly vetoed that, choosing the kanji for 'change' instead.

The boy's head titled slightly to one side as an odd sound caught his attention. What was that? He wondered. Silently, Kaito slipped out a side door, towards the source of the noise. A pair of blue eyes widened, only his desire not to disturb the other keeping him silent.

In the center of the courtyard stood Goemon-san's son, Huyu. An unsheathed katana was skillfully held in the thirteen-year old's hand. He was practicing. The young teen moved through a series of increasing intricate patterns. Kata, Kaito believed they were called.

The other was amazing. Kaito had never seen anything like it before. The finale came when Huyu sheathed the katana and leapt forward, performing a perfect Battojutsu that cut through a thick wooden pole with one swing. The top half of the post came crashing down. The swordsman seemed unconcerned, walking over to his water bottle to get a drink.

"Wow," Kaito whispered. "That was awesome."

The older boy looked a bit self-conscious at being observed. "Not really," he shrugged off the praise. "My father could have cut a steel pole that size into a dozen perfect slices." Huyu spoke matter of factly. There was no false praise in his words. It was the honest truth.

"Really," the magician was surprised. He hadn't known that was possible. Heck, he didn't know anyone could use a sword like that outside a movie.

Huyu nodded, his dark eyes shining with pride. "Tousan is the best swordsman in the whole world."

"Hey, I bet if you work hard you'll be able to beat him one day."

The young samurai looked doubtful. He couldn't even fathom someone besting his father in combat. It just didn't compute. "No one is as good as my Tousan."

Kaito's smile faded, a sharp pain going through his chest "My Dad was the best magician in the entire world," he admitted softly. "I am not sure if I will ever be as good as he was."

The younger boy's tone snapped Huyu out of his own funk and he looked up, brown eyes meeting brilliant blue. "I'll make you a deal Kaito-kun," he offered somewhat impulsively.

The magician looked curious. "What is it?" he asked.

"I bet that I can become the world's best swordsman before you can become the best magician."

A wide grin spread over Kaito's face. "What does the winner get?"

"Err," in truth Huyu wasn't sure. He hadn't thought that far ahead. After a moment the older boy shrugged. "I'll have to get back to you on that one," he admitted. "Do we have a bargain?"

The magician nodded. "Deal." They shook hands. He helped Huyu pick up his stuff as they moved back inside. Kaito stealing glances at his foster-brother as they walked. He had the beginnings of an idea, but he wasn't quite sure how to breach it. Finally he just decided to bite the bullet.

"Hey Huyu-kun," he said hesitantly.

"Yes."

"Do you think I could learn how to fight?" he asked.

The older boy looked surprised. "I don't see why not," he said after a moments thought. Kaito was in fairly good shape, flexible, and had great balance from what he had seen. "You would be behind though. We can ask Kaasan about putting you in class at dinner."

Kaito nodded. "Sounds good," he struggled for an air of nonchalance. He didn't like the idea of violence, but there was one thing the magician was sure of. He would never be helpless again.

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_For those of you wondering about the tape recorder_

_It is coming. Kaito hasn't listened to it yet because he knows it is about his Father. He wants to get settled a bit before once again turning his world upside down_


	6. Chapter 6

_I own nothing and no one_

_Sorry for the wait, I swear it is not my fault. It is this stupid replacement professor. First we all spend hours studying for a midterm. Then we get to class and he hands us a take home essay exam that we have to put outside sources on. Which means research. Which took so much longer than it should have. I hate the Valley Library. That's even without mentioning that the class has suddenly become the philosophy of architecture. Not cool. Sniff, I miss our old teacher. _

_Coughs. Okay, now that I am done with the rant. Let's get on with the show._

**Chapter Six**

Lupin yawned as he entered the kitchen, pausing when he noticed the small figure seated at the table. That was odd. He knew why he was up. There was work to do. But why was Kaito? It was 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday for crying out loud. Any normal child would still be in bed.

Silently the thief crossed the room, sliding into one of the other chairs. "Hey kiddo," he greeted. "What'ca doing up?"

Kaito glanced up briefly before returning his gaze to the object in front of him. "Nothing," he murmured. "I just couldn't sleep."

The older man's eyes darkened with compassion. "Nightmares?" he asked softly. He couldn't blame Kaito if it was. The kid hadn't spoken much about what had happened, but he could read between the lines well enough.

"Not exactly," the magician answered. His blue eyes did not waver from the tape recorder he had retrieved from his bag. "I just have a lot on my mind is all."

Lupin followed his gaze, examining the object. The device was several years out of date. Which meant his charge had probably brought it with him. The thief couldn't help but notice that it was loaded. "So what's up with that?"

"It is a message from my Father," Kaito reached for the tape recorder, before abruptly pulling his hand back. He dropped his eyes. "I haven't listened to it yet," he admitted. Part of him was afraid to.

"Ah," Lupin was silent a moment, thinking the situation over. He wasn't a perfect person, far from it. But no one had ever accused him of being stupid. Well, almost never. He reached out and hit the play button.

_"Kaito, long time no see," _the voice of a man two years dead seemed to echo around the small room. _"It's time you learned the truth. You see I'm actually the Kaitou Kid. I regret not telling you earlier, but right now you are only eight years old, and there are still some things you wouldn't understand."_

There was a brief pause before Toichi spoke again. _"Though if you are listening to this I guess I won't ever be able to tell you because I am dead. I knew it could happen someday, which is why I recorded this message."_

_"Besides," _even when talking about his potential demise, the thief managed to keep his tone upbeat. _"Despite my tendency to tease Snake about being a lousy shot, he is a very dangerous man. The fact that he can afford to favor heart shots just shows how unlikely it is for him to miss."_

Lupin's eyes narrowed, his mind working at full speed. A gunman named Snake who favored heart shots. He hadn't heard of the man, but that didn't mean anything. The world was a very big place after all. He would have to make some discrete inquiries.

The tape went on to explain about the Black Organization, as well as the Pandora Gem. Kaito's Father hadn't known if the legend was real, though he had seen enough odd things, not counting himself, not to dismiss it. Frankly however he hadn't cared. Either way, he didn't like murderers, and he could not in good conscience, ignore the situation.

"_For good or ill," _Toichi's voice continued. _"I have made my decision. My only regret is that I will not see you grow up. But know this my son, whatever you choose to do with your life, I could not be more proud." _There was a soft click as the tape ended.

Slowly, Kaito reached up to turn off the tape recorder. He didn't need to listen to it again. He had all the information he needed. The boy's young face may as well been carved of stone for all the expression if showed. Everything had been hidden behind a perfect poker face.

For a few minutes the pair sat in silence. "So what now?" Lupin asked at last. As young as Kaito was, the thief could not claim that it wasn't the other's decision. It was.

The magician looked up, eyes as cold as ice. "That's easy," he answered matter of factly. "I am going to become the best thief in the world, the best thief ever. I am going to find the Pandora Gem and smash it," his small fingers tightened into fists, the knuckles of his hands turning white from the pressure. "And then," he hissed. "I am going to make them pay for what they've done."

Lupin looked concerned at that. "Kid," he started only to have his voice trail off. He wasn't quite sure what to say. Objecting to Kaito's career choice would be hypocritical to say the least.

"What Lupin means to say," Jigen stated from his place in the doorway, is that becoming an avenger is a bad idea." He and Goemon stepped into the room, joining the pair at the table. "Vengeance makes people broken inside. All that death and killing, and once it is all over, they have nothing left to live for." He didn't want Kaito to end up like that.

A sharp grin spread across the magician's features. "Who said anything about vengeance, or killing?" his cool voice inquired, offering a glimpse of the man Kaito would someday become. "I have read a bit about the Kaitou Kid. He lived by his code, breaking that by taking lives would be a poor way to honor his memory."

"I intend to see that justice is done," any matters of vengeance would be purely coincidental Kaito told himself. His blue eyes sparked. "And if you won't help me I will just have to do it myself." It was clear he meant every word.

"Whoa, whoa," Lupin objected waving his arms. "I never said that I wouldn't be willing to teach you." It was the least he could do. It wasn't like he was cut out for raising a kid. Fortunately, Goemon and his wife seemed to have that well in hand, and speaking of his friend.

The samurai nodded his head in approval. "A worthy goal," he voiced his opinion. As for Jigen, the gunman looked at his partners cross-eyed before sighing. Wonderful, he guessed this meant he was in too. After all, someone had to teach the kid he wasn't invincible.

Lupin reached across the table to ruffle Kaito's hair. "For now just pay attention in school," he told the boy. "We will work out a schedule when we get back." That should be more than enough for now. After all, the children of the Kage clan hardly attended a usual school. In addition to the normal subjects, it also taught more unique electives such as hacking, disguise, and anything else a modern day ninja needed.

Kaito blinked. "Where are you going?" he asked. To be honest, he felt a little nervous at the prospect of the trio leaving. He didn't know them that well yet, but they were really all he had.

Lupin shrugged. "We just need to throw Pops off our trail. We'll be back in no time." He trusted the Interpol agent, odd as that sounded, but he didn't trust the man's superiors. It would be better to leave the man in the dark.

The ten year old looked perplexed. "Pops," he mouthed.

"He means Inspector Zenigata," Jigen put in. "He's the man in charge of our case."

"Oh," Kaito said, slightly subdued. He knew cops chased thieves of course. He just hadn't thought about it until now. The magician shifted his weight from one foot to the other before impulsively hugging Lupin. "Don't get caught," he whispered into the man's ear.

Quickly, Kaito let go and scrambled out of the room, leaving Lupin to stare after him. Shrugging the thief picked up his bag. Kids were just weird he decided. "So what about Fujiko?" Jigen asked as they headed out the door.

Lupin glanced at his partner, dark eyes hardening. "Forget her," he ordered. "She is a thing of the past." There was not a place for Fujiko in his new life, no matter how beautiful his on again/off again girlfriend was.

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_Ack! Don't kill me Fujiko fans. I have a reason I swear. Needless to say, she is going to get a wake up call sometime in the future. And speaking of the future, next we are going to be time skipping a couple years. Should be interesting to see what skills Kaito picks up from his Father's other friends. If you know a thief you want to be included, send me a line with your idea. It might just make it into the story. And as always, please review. _


	7. Chapter 7

_I own nothing and no one_

**Chapter Seven**

_A couple years later_

Three thieves walked side-by-side, going nowhere in particular. The trio had just returned from a harrowing experience in Paris and was taking the opportunity to unwind now that they were back on safe ground. The job had been a perfect example of Murphy's Law. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

An almost imperceptible grimace flickered briefly over Lupin's face when he realized he was actually slightly bothered by his near death experience. Oh, he wasn't going spend a lot of time brooding on it. But it wasn't something to be immediately disregarded either. Things had changed certainly changed over the past decade and a half.

First there had been Goemon's marriage, and then his child. That had changed some things, but not a lot. They had never discussed it really, but he and Jigen had always figured that if only one of them survived a situation it would be the samurai. What else can you expect from someone who can take down a helicopter with a sword? Or catch bullets with his bare hands?

The real sticker however, had been Kaito. Even though Goemon and his wife had taken up the child rearing duties, that didn't change the fact that the boy's Mother had left him in his care. Lupin had become, dare he say it, responsible. Just as responsible as was good for him though, the thief insisted to himself, and not one iota more. And speaking of Kaito. . .

"Look out!" the darkly clad twelve-year old shouted as he ran around the corner. "Coming through!" Kaito quite literally ran up one the wire cords that ran from the roof's edge to the ground below, arms spread slightly for balance. He was being closely pursued by a girl about his age.

"Get back here Kai!" she shouted. There was no way he would get away this time. She would catch him if it were the last thing she ever did. The girl ran up the cord as well, following her target onto the roof. She lunged for him, arm outstretched. She missed.

Kaito dived head first off the other side of the rooftop, flipping his body midair to land lightly on his feet, as nimble as any cat. He looked back at her and smirked. "Not fast enough Mai-chan," he teased. A cloud of smoke rose around the pre-teen. When it cleared, the magician was gone.

The girl swore, sliding down from the rooftop before darting back into the forest in pursuit of her prey. Completely missing the other teenager taking refuge in the high branches of a nearby tree. Pity that as he, unlike Kaito, lacked an escape route.

Lupin blinked. Jigen blinked. Then they both turned to Goemon, a questioning expression on their faces. What had that been about? Besides looking as impressive as hell for kids their ages.

The samurai looked unperturbed. "They are playing tag."

"Tag," Lupin repeated. He looked back to the spot where Kaito had disappeared. He had played tag when he was little. The thief cast his mind back to days spent running around grassy fields with other children his age. Those carefree moments were still some of his fondest memories, but still. Had the game really changed that much? He wondered.

Jigen looked equally skeptical. That wasn't how he remembered the game.

"Perhaps," Goemon conceded. "Saying they are playing is oversimplifying the matter. It might be more accurate to say they are training." The ninja version of tag was a game of strength, speed, skill, and tactics. It was just like being in the field, anything went. Except instead of getting caught, you became it.

Pride shown in the renegade samurai's sharp eyes. "Huyu and Kaito are the undisputed champions," he informed his partners. Other than a brief hiccup when his foster son had first been introduced to the game, the pair had not been caught once.

A wide grin spread across Lupin's face. "Good for them." Jigen didn't say anything. But if a person looked really close, he or she would have been able to see the faintest hints of a smile.

"So," Jigen inquired, doing his best to sound like he didn't care. "How's the brat's sword training going?" He adjusted his hat to better hide his facial expression.

There was a moment of silence. "Kaito-kun has some of the best hand eye coordination I have ever seen when it comes to projectiles," Goemon said at last. "His hand to hand is coming along nicely as well. However," the samurai sighed. "He will never be a master of the sword. Kaito's talents lie in different directions."

His two friends stared at him.

"What?" Goemon asked catching the look.

"Nothing," Lupin answered, sticking his hands in his pockets. "That just wasn't something I expected you to say is all."

The samurai's eyes hardened slightly. "It is a poor teacher," he said coolly. "Who puts their own pride in front of the well being of their students."

The pair froze, knowing immediately they had done something wrong. They had known Goemon more than long enough to pick up the warning signs. But not long enough to avoid upsetting the deadly man entirely. Lupin and Jigen had come to the conclusion long ago that they would never entirely understand their friend's strict sense of honor.

Lupin examined the other a moment longer before relaxing. "So what are you thinking?" he asked. It was obvious to him that the swordsman had some sort of plan in regards to his younger student.

Goemon turned to face his partners. "We are not the only ones whom Kid-san befriended, nor the only ones who owed him. I suggest we start calling in those markers on Kaito's behalf."

Lupin thought a moment, before nodding in agreement. If Kaito was determined to follow through on his vow, there was no reason why he shouldn't learn from the best, all of the best. Mentally he ran through a list of the various thieves who met the criteria.

"Summer break starts in a few weeks," Jigen pointed out neutrally. "We could have everything arranged by then."

"That just leaves the matter of where he is going," Goemon put in.

"England," Lupin said abruptly.

His two partners turned to stare at him. "England?" Jigen repeated.

Lupin nodded his head decisively. "Yes England." Dorian was retired, more or less, and he could think of no one better for Kaito to learn court manners from than an honest to god lord. Besides, the kiddo's English could use a bit of work. Hopefully three months in the land of tea and tweed would remedy that deficiency.

_PTPTPTPT_

_Those of you who don't know who Dorian is_

_Don't worry, you'll see next chapter_

_Hope you all like it and please review_

_It makes me, and the fire-breathing kitty, happy_


	8. Chapter 8

_I own nothing and no one_

_Erm, just realized that I said Kaito was twelve in the last chapter. That isn't quite true. He is turning twelve, as his birthday is June Twenty-first. Not a big deal really, just something to be aware of, and now for the entrance of the next series._

_From Eroica with Love: This anime has a mostly European setting, Cold War Era, and concerns the adventures of a British aristocrat, Dorian Red, Earl of Gloria, who moonlights as an international art thief using the alias "Eroica", and his opposite number, a German NATO intelligence agent named Major Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach. Dorian is flamboyant, swashbuckling, hedonistic, and cheerfully indifferent to most of society's conventions; he's also openly homosexual. Klaus is uptight, conservative, duty-driven, bad-tempered, and so repressed that he probably doesn't know himself what his sexual orientation is, but he does give some indications that he's not entirely immune to Dorian's attractions. As I do not write slash, there will be no explicit scenes in this story, but as I also like happy endings, assume Dorian finally won Klaus over, at least to the point where the major isn't going to shoot him._

**Chapter Eight**

"Happy Birthday Kaito!" the small group chorused. There were a number of soft pops as some of the party props went off, shooting multi-colored confetti into the air. The boy had already had a separate party for his classmates. But, this was more private, for family.

As for the boy himself, he gave a large grin before leaning forward to blow out the candles. It was unsurprising to anyone who knew the young magician, that the candles not only went out, but vanished entirely to be replaced by twelve miniature roses. "Oops," Kaito smirked.

Lupin leaned forward to ruffle the brunette's wild hair. "So what did you wish for kiddo?" he asked.

Kaito looked up at the other with wide eyes, looking even younger than his actual age. "But if I told you that, my wish wouldn't come true," the magician protested. In truth he hadn't even made a wish, having outgrown such things the day his Mother died. The pre-teen knew that just wishing for something wouldn't make it happen. Not that he intended to tell his foster family that. Let them think he retained at least a little of his innocence.

"Here," Huyu dropped a brightly wrapped present in the younger boy's lap. "For you."

For a moment, Kaito considered being careful with the package before disregarding the idea. Where would the fun in that be? He tore through the paper to find a new set of lock picks. Pulling them out of the package he whistled softly at the obviously high quality of the set. "Nice," he praised, slipping them into one of his outfits many hidden pockets.

The fifteen-year old shrugged. "You needed a new set anyway."

A faint blush spread over the magician's face. "That so wasn't my fault," Kaito objected. "If Ken had rigged the bridge right I wouldn't have fallen into the river in the first place." His old picks were still somewhere underwater.

Goemon's lips twitched as he remembered the incident. Kaito had looked like a drowned rat. Though the amusement value of his appearance had been nothing compared to the boy's reaction upon discovering a small fish stuck in his pants. Now that had been funny. His dark eyes sparkled with humor as he passed over the next present.

The magician got a collection of live performances by the greatest magicians of the last decade from Lupin. This of course, included one by Toichi Kuroba. He had thought about getting a tape that explained the tricks but presumed that the kid would rather figure them out himself. Hitomi gave her foster son some new clothing while her husband contributed a copy of _The Art of War. _As for Jigen, the gunman gave him a collection of small throwing knives in a style Kaito was unfamiliar with.

It was the last present that was the real puzzle though. The boy opened an envelope to find two plane tickets to Great Britain. He looked up at his guardians, the unspoken question in his eyes.

"One of your Father's other friends lives there," Lupin told him. "We've arranged for you to stay with him for the summer."

Kaito cocked his head to one side curiously. "Another thief?" He couldn't see any other reason for him to go.

Goemon nodded. "Gloria-sama is a master of his art." The very fact that he remained free and unwanted was proof of that. Being a peer of the realm only went so far, even taking into account favors owed by NATO.

The magician looked back at the envelope. "So who is the other ticket for?" he asked.

Huyu cuffed him lightly on the back of the head. "For me of course. Gloria-sama is said to be a fine swordsman." He was hoping to pick up a few moves that were not commonly practiced in Japan. That he would be keeping an eye on his little brother as well went without saying.

"Oh." To be honest, Kaito felt a bit sheepish. The magician made a mental note to work on his deductive skills. "Of course it is." He smiled at his makeshift family. "So when are we leaving?"

A week later Kaito and Huyu descended from the plane that had brought them to the London Airport. The younger boy carefully rubbed his eyes, reaching further up only to have his foster brother catch his hand.

"Watch the hair," the swordsman hissed quietly.

Grumbling slightly, the brunette subsided, struggling to conceal a yawn. It was difficult to remember that his hair had been dyed a lighter shade of brown and gelled back. Lupin had insisted, and the other adults had seen the master thief's point.

Only two years had passed since Kaito's supposed death, and his appearance hadn't changed all that much. It was unlikely anyone would recognize him, but why take that chance? That was also why he was wearing colored contact lenses. The magician was especially eager to get those out. After such a long trip, they itched.

Standing near the bottom of the ramp was a man holding a sign, and next to him, the Earl of Gloria. The pair recognized him at once from their guardians' descriptions, not that it was difficult.

Dorian was dressed in an elaborate outfit that looked like it came out of France during the renaissance. For a man his age, the Earl's face held relatively few wrinkles. The thief had aged gracefully, losing little of his beauty. However, his once golden hair had been bleached of color as the years passed. It wasn't gray though, never that. Platinum, or perhaps silver if one were feeling less generous, but not gray. At least, that was what the man insisted to himself.

"Kai-kun," the British thief greeted, leaning down to kiss the magician on both cheeks. "How good of you to come." Beneath his carefree exterior, Eroica's sharp mind cataloged what he could see of his murdered friend's son. The coded message from Lupin had come as a nasty shock, at least where Kid's family was concerned.

A pair of bright blue eyes focused on the older boy. "And you must be Huyu." Dorian did not miss the near instinctive grace with which the pair moved. It was obvious they both had more than mediocre training in some form of martial art. "Why it seems like just yesterday your Father was telling me of your birth." He might have gone on if not for the sudden boom of thunder.

The Earl looked up at the rapidly darkening sky. "Oh dear," he murmured ushering the boys towards his car. "Let's get the two of you inside before it starts to rain."

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_All right, next we get to see the boy's lessons and an introduction to Iron Klaus_

_As always please review, it makes me happy_


	9. Chapter 9

_I own nothing and no one_

_I would like to thank everyone who reviewed; there are a couple notes below._

_**Vampslyr**: No, Huyu is not cannon. I created him because Kaito needed a partner and I figured of the Lupin gang Goemon was by far the most likely to settle down and have a family. Besides, who is able to resist the awesomeness of a character that can cut through solid steel with a katana? And yes, a DNAngel scene is in the works. You'll just have to wait a bit to see what happens there._

_**LeonaWriter **__and __**Arete2**_: _Yes, Hakuba is coming. He will appear briefly a couple chapters from now. Though in all honesty I had forgotten him before the two of you mentioned it. Originally he wasn't going to show up until Kaito's emergence as a phantom thief. So, thank you for mentioning him._

**Chapter Nine**

Huyu and Kaito had been in Great Britain a week now, and so far, the pair was having a great time. Though some of the lessons had been more interesting than others. It hadn't taken the magician long to determine the purpose of Jigen's gift. The Earl of Gloria was a fine hand at throwing knives. He had passed on several tricks to his erstwhile students, including how to pick simple locks with the point of the blade.

Despite the art thief's capricious nature, Dorian was a harsh taskmaster. He didn't accept any shit from his charges. That being said, he was a very good teacher. Lessons on being a gentleman were held in the mornings, those on thieving were held in the evenings.

The latter were always enjoyable. The Earl's mansion was one big training ground. Unsurprisingly, it had a state of the art security system. After all, who knew how to keep out uninvited guests better than an actual thief? Dorian had said that at the end of the summer, he and Huyu could try to break into the house, as a final exam of sorts. If they made it to their target without being caught, they would be able to keep the piece.

The Earl had given them ample motivation too. More than just their pride that is. The artwork in question was a Ming vase. There were only six of them in the entire world. Both boys had agreed it would make a marvelous gift for Hitomi's birthday. Suffice it to say, they had no intention of losing the contest.

Lord Gloria also offered lessons on being a lady. Intellectually, Kaito knew that he needed to be able to imitate anyone, anywhere, at anytime, regardless of the person's sex. Still, that didn't make it any less awkward to be dancing with another guy. Still, he thought to himself. It could be worse. At least he wasn't being required to wear a dress yet.

A pair of blue eyes jerked back to Dorian's slender form as the man finished his demonstration of the new move. "All right," he announced. "Now the pair of you try it, closed position if you please." He turned to face one of his employees. "James," he ordered. "The music."

Almost immediately, the classic tones of Chopin's Minute Waltz began to play. Kaito took a deep breath, slightly tightening his grip on Huyu's shoulder as he caught the beat.

"Ready?" Dorian asked. As the pair nodded, he began to count them off. "One, two, three, four, five, six."

On the next count, Huyu and Kaito began to move, the Earl of Gloria's instructions sounding in the background. "Basic, two, three, twinkle, two three, cuddle, two, three, turn . . ."

Whoops. Kaito winced as his left elbow smacked into his partner's nose. That was not good. "Shit," he muttered under his breath. He untangled himself from the other's arms, looking up at his foster brother's face. "Are you alright Huyu?" he asked.

"Fine," the swordsman replied, reaching up to gingerly examine his nose. "I've had worse." It was the truth. When he was eleven, one of the other members of the Kage clan had accidentally broken his nose during a spar. Compared to that, this was nothing.

Dorian also moved forward, gently grabbing the teenager's face, tilting it upwards towards the light. After a brief examination the art thief released him. Huyu was indeed fine. It probably wouldn't even bruise.

The platinum blond reached out to ruffle Kaito's hair. "Don't worry about it Kai-kun," he reassured his student. "You are doing remarkable well. If you keep up your current rate of retention, you will be able to move on to Vietnamese Waltz in no time."

Kaito stifled a groan. They couldn't work on tango instead? When they had first started lessons, Dorian had demonstrated all the ballroom dances. Most of them had looked like fun, but Vietnamese. Well, that was something else.

The magician had to wonder what insane mind had come up with that style. It seemed to him the constant twirling was just asking for a broken ankle, especially when wearing heels. Either that or the pair would throw up once the piece was over. As far as Kaito was concerned, the dance's one saving grace was that it was traditionally only a minute and a half long.

"Now reset," the art thief ordered. "Let's try it again, and this time Kai, keep your elbow in on the turn." Unknown to the small group, at the same time Dorian was correcting the boy's form; the house was about to gain another visitor.

The now General Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach of NATO approached the mansion with mixed feelings. Eroica was being quiet, too quiet. He didn't like it. So, he had come to the Earl's estate to discover just what the other was up to. Part of the military man wondered if the thief had finally gotten bored with him.

The man known in certain circles as Iron Klaus knew he should be grateful if that were the case. It would certainly make his life easier. But still, he thought a bit wistfully. At the same time, life would be far more boring if Dorian were not around to. . .

No! The General caught himself, forcefully pulling his mind back to the present. He was here to insure Eroica had not decided to come out of retirement. It was duty that prompted his presence here, nothing more. Never mind that he was technically on leave for the next two weeks.

Klaus let himself into the house, making his way through the ornate halls with the ease of long practice. He could hear music playing. No doubt he would find Eroica if he just followed the sound. The General was about to go through the final door when Bonham slid smoothly in front of him.

"I am sorry General, but Lord Gloria has asked not to be disturbed," the thief's right hand man told him calmly.

The General moved to step around the shorter man only to have the other mirror his actions. "No one," Bonham reiterated. "Not even you sir."

Klaus paused, considering that. In the decades he had known the thief, Eroica had never given such orders. "In that case, please tell him I would like to speak to him at his earliest convenience."

Bonham nodded. "Of course." His sharp eyes moved about the hallway. "Ryan," he called one of the new employees. "Please escort Uncle NATO to the parlor. Our Lord should be along presently."

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_Another chapter done: pauses to cheer:_

_The waltz scene was actually based off my own experience. I was so embarrassed._

_But hey, no one is perfect. Hope you all liked it and as always, please review._

_But be warned, any flames will be returned by the fire-breathing kitty. _


	10. Chapter 10

_I own nothing and no one_

**Chapter Ten**

"Darling!" Dorian exclaimed in a tone of great delight as he entered the parlor. He threw his arms around the other in a somewhat excessive display of affection. "What a pleasant surprise."

Iron Klaus glared; inwardly annoyed at the lack of impact it had on the English Lord. "Get off me you deviant," he muttered without heat. Years of exposure had given him a partial immunity to the art thief's antics.

The Earl of Gloria gave the general one final squeeze before releasing him. Optimism was one thing. Pressing his luck in regards to the volatile man was something else entirely. "So what brings you here my dear General?" he asked, moving to remove a pair of wine glasses from a nearby cupboard.

"You," the answer was short and to the point.

"Me?" Eroica echoed. A wide grin spread across his face. "Does this mean you are finally taking me up on my offer?" He questioned seductively.

_"Nein!"_ Klaus snapped, the faintest of blushes blooming on his cheeks. He hadn't meant it like that.

Dorian sighed. "Pity," he murmured. Oh well, at least the NATO operative hadn't threatened to shot him this time. That meant he was making progress. The thief retrieved a vintage he knew Klaus was especially fond of and poured them both a night cup.

The thief handed one of the glasses to the other before sinking onto a nearby couch. He regarded Klaus through half closed eyes, well aware of the picture he presented. "So?" Dorian purred.

For a moment Klaus simply stared. It was moments like this he understood how so many could fall for the thief's charm. He quickly snapped out of it, gray eyes narrowing. "What are you up to Eroica?" the general demanded.

A blank expression passed over Dorian's face. Him? He wasn't up to anything. "Darling," the thief stated. "I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about."

"In the last week," Klaus said carefully as though speaking to a child. "You have cancelled seventeen business meetings, declined thirty-four party invitations, and have not eaten out once. You have also," he continued. "Discretely purchased equipment that can be used for a number of covert operations, including thievery." His features hardened. "So I ask again, what are you up to?"

The art thief smirked. "Why Klaus, I had no idea you kept such close tabs on me." It was flattering, in a way.

"Eroica," the raven-haired man growled warningly.

"Oh very well," Dorian said. "In all honesty," he paused. "I am not up to anything."

A skeptical look was thrown the platinum blonde's direction.

"Really Klaus," the thief huffed. "Would I lie to you?"

_"Ja,"_ the general replied immediately. "You would." It wasn't like Dorian hadn't done it before. Usually right before he took off with some priceless piece of art.

The Earl didn't seem at all bothered by the accusation. Casually the slender man took another sip of his wine. "Truthfully," he laughed. "I'm just watching a friend's son for him."

Klaus considered that for a moment. It was somewhat plausible, but still. "Why aren't you out showing the boy the town then?" He pointed out the one flaw in the English Lord's argument.

Inwardly Dorian groaned. What on earth had possessed him to fall for such an intelligent man? "It is not that simple," he said softly.

A pair of gray eyes narrowed. "Then explain it to me," he ordered.

"Now, now," the thief teased, fluttering his eyelashes. "You know better than most that a secret is only a secret if two people know it and one of them is dead." Despite Dorian's light-hearted demeanor, his eyes held an unusually serious gleam.

"This boy," Iron Klaus said at last, lighting up a cigarette. "He is in danger?"

"Only if someone finds out he is still alive."

"I see," the general whispered gaze distant. "And you are teaching him." It would only make since. The best way to protect someone was to enable them to protect themselves.

"Yes," Dorian admitted. "I am."

After a moment more Klaus nodded decisively, having come to a decision. "Then I will help." After all, someone had to teach this child the value of good intelligence. Not to mention a measure of decorum.

"You will," Dorian said shocked.

_"Ja."_

_"_Oh darling," the thief breathed, blue eyes sparkling. "I do love you."

Klaus just glared. "Do you want me to change my mind?"

Later that evening the general stood at attention as he examined his two latest charges. He didn't know their names, and frankly, he didn't want to. The NATO agent knew it was safer that way. Behind him a number of charts had been pinned to the wall.

This would be a challenge, Klaus realized. He had never taught anyone this young before, or anyone who was not military. Oh well, he thought. It could be worse. The two teenagers were quiet and attentive. Briefly he thought about what a pity it was that the pair was using their talents for such ignoble purposes.

Perhaps he could subvert them, the general considered. They were young enough to be swayed, and NATO could always use a few more good agents. Even if the pair chose to consult in the manner Eroica once had, it would still be a victory.

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_Next will be the Huyu and Kaito's final exam_

_Both in manners and thievery, I have a couple ideas I can't wait to write._

_Please review, and if you want to check out my pictures, go check out my recently created homepage. It is so much more organized than my journals were. Just click on the gallery link for Phantom of a Thief._


	11. Chapter 11

_I own nothing and no one_

"_Italics" Speaking in a voice not one's own_

_Switching genders got confusing, so people will be referred to as whatever they are disguised as at the time. That will make my life easier. So don't worry. Kaito has not spontaneously decided to have a sex change. And now, on with the show._

**Chapter Eleven**

"Isn't this exciting?" Dorian practically gushed, primping his long curly hair. "Your very first ball." He moved over to Huyu, brushing a bit of stray lint off the teen's dark suit. The thief paused, looking around in confusion. "But where is Kai?" he asked.

The raven haired fifteen-year old tilted his head towards the closed door. "He's still in there." Huyu wasn't quite sure what was taking his foster brother so long. If not for the fact he knew Kaito would never be so clumsy, he would have wondered if the other had fallen in.

A faint frown passed over Dorian's fair features and he knocked lightly on the door with his middle knuckle. "Kai?" he called. "Kai-kun, are you ready to go?"

There was a moment of silence. "Do I have to?" the thief in training asked plaintively. "It's embarrassing."

The Earl of Gloria almost laughed. "Yes, you have to." He had already informed the party's host of his attendance, and that of his two temporary wards. "Besides," Dorian added. "It is good training for later."

After a moment more the door opened, and Kaito stepped out. _"Well," _the pre-teen asked in a decidedly feminine voice. _"What do you think?" _The boy's hair had been done up in pigtails, padding added to the front of his dress to give him the illusion of developing breasts. It took every bit of the will power Kai possessed not to fidget under the small group's penetrating stares.

Huyu smirked. "You look very cute imouto-chan," the swordsman teased. A little to cute honestly, he thought to himself examining Kai's slightly flushed features. His fingers itched for a katana. If anyone so much as looked at his little br… Err, sister wrong, it would be the last thing they ever did.

Kaito completely missed the protective look; too busy glowering at nothing in particular. Whatever had happened to the teen that spent his spare time meditating beneath waterfalls? The one who spent every second of every day working to improve his art? For Huyu, discipline hadn't just been part of his training. It was a way of life.

Perhaps, the magician mused to herself. I've been a bad influence. When they had first meet Huyu would have never made such a comment. Not to say that her foster brother wasn't still obsessed with improving his sword skills. He had just lightened up a bit. Kaito's snarkiness had definitely rubbed off on the older boy. Kai was abruptly pulled out of her thoughts as their host squealed with delight.

"We must get a picture," Dorian declared, clapping his hands. "Now the two of you stand right there." Quickly, the art thief retrieved a camera from Bonham, lifting it up to his eye. "Now smile and say cheese."

The two Japanese youth's shared a puzzled glance. Their English skills had improved a great deal over the past few months, but this baffled them. Cheese? What did a dairy product have to do with taking a picture? They wondered. Never the less, the pair did as instructed. There was a bright light as the camera's flash went off.

"And now," the Earl imperially said, pointing one slender figure to the mansion's exit. "To the ball." As they left the room, James finally lost the battle with himself, bursting into tears. Of course, the salty streams dripping down the stingy man's face had nothing to do with Kai him/herself, and everything to do with the dress he/she was wearing. Their Lord had insisted on the best, in spite of the accountant's objections. It had cost a fortune.

On the way there, the pair reviewed the information that had been prepared for this outing. Their names were Kai and Huyu Okina, and they had the papers to prove it. Their Father was a Japanese businessman who lived off the interest from a modest inheritance. Their Mother was an aspiring artist from England. They had met when she had visited the land of the rising sun to paint landscapes.

The pair had fallen madly in love and immediately married. She had not been back to her home country since. The siblings had been sent to spend the summer with Gloria-sama because their Mom was concerned they would not understand both sides of their heritage. The list of miscellaneous facts went on from there.

As the small group looked up at the entrance to the building, Kai took a deep breath, wrapping her arm through her foster brother's. She could do this. Just as long as no one expected her to eat the caviar, she would be fine. It was bad enough people ate fish period. But eating fish eggs, that was something else. Some people were just crazy, the magician decided.

Somewhat surprisingly, Kaito found herself enjoying the outing. She did like to dance, even if she preferred being a lead to a follow. It was fun. Besides, the magician reasoned. It was just like a performance, something that had increased her comfort levels immensely. The other partygoers were her unknowing audience, and she was the one holding all the cards.

As the evening wore on, the magician found herself with no lack of assistants in her endeavor. It was fascinating really, watching how the people reacted to certain stimuli. Pull a string, and see what happens. Will they jump right? Will they jump left? What will cause them to be angry? What action will prompt a laugh instead?

To be honest Kaito felt a bit guilty, treating the people around her like puppets, as though they were nothing more than pieces on a chessboard. Still, was it not Shakespeare who said in one of his plays that all the world is a stage, and the men and women merely players. Which, the magician supposed, would make him the man (or woman, depending on who he/she was at the time) who plays many parts.

Someday though, Kai knew, the game would be much more dangerous. The partygoers would be replaced with members of the Black Organization, the host's employees with the police. That would raise the stakes considerably. Instead of being embarrassed, Kai would be concerned about being arrested, or killed.

But for now, the only hazard the pre-teen had to worry about was hormonal driven teenagers. There had been a few who had expressed a bit too much interest in herperson. One look at Huyu's furious countenance though, and the boys had decided to press their luck elsewhere. Evidently she was pretty, but not quite pretty enough to risk her foster brother's wrath.

The disguised pre-teen paused a moment to catch her breath, discretely scanning the interior of the ballroom while drinking a small glass of water. It was hot in here. The faintest of frowns flickered over Kai's face as she noticed a boy about her age standing alone in a corner.

It didn't take much to figure out why. Though his coloring was fair, the teenager's features had a decidedly Asian cast to them. Unlike Kai however, the blond was not considered to be exotic. Instead, he was out of place. _Gaijin. _That was what he would have been called in Japan.

And why? Just because he was different? Sad as it was, the magician knew people didn't need reasons to be cruel. After a moments thought, the young woman set down herdrink, turning away from the crowd of admirers she had collected. Determinedly, the disguised figure started across the floor.

_"Excuse me," _Kai asked politely. _"Would you care to dance?"_

For a brief moment the boy looked startled before his expression smoothed back over. He bowed slightly. "I would be delighted Miss." Rising, the blond offered her his arm, and together the pair walked onto the floor.

_"I'm Kai," _the magician introduced, as they went through the basic steps of the waltz. _"What's your name?"_

"Forgive me," the blond murmured. "How remiss of me. Saguru Hakuba at your service."

Jeez, Kaito thought to herself. How much more uptight could you get? Someone had really done a number on this guy. Oh well, she would just have to be cheerful enough for both of them. A brilliant smile spread across the disguised figure's face, the full force of which was directed at her companion. _"Pleased to meet you Saguru-kun," _she chirped_._

Hakuba looked like he wanted to object to the young woman's familiarity, but couldn't quite figure out how. After a moment, he mentally shrugged, letting the matter go. It wasn't like it would matter once tonight was over.

As they danced, the pair talked of inconsequential things. Kai's eyes lighting up when she discovered Hakuba's father was a high-ranking police officer in Japan. Now wasn't that interesting. Such connections could be useful down the line.

_"And you?" _she inquired. _"What do you want to do?"_

"I," the blond announced in the manner of a man sure of his decision. "Am going to be a detective." In his mind, it was a fact, simple as that.

_"Really,"_ Kai said. _"That is so cool."_ In spite of her own career choice, the thief in training had a deep respect for the job law enforcers preformed, and from what the magician had seen so far, he would be a good one. Hakuba was very intelligent. But, the blond was just a bit too rigid, and that was something that could and would hinder him Kai knew.

Maybe though, the magician considered. She could break through those walls a little, or at least make some cracks. Kai looked around for a suitable target. Finding one, the disguised figure leaned in closer to her dance partner's ear. _"The woman twelve feet to our left,"_ she murmured. _"Is waiting to meet someone."_

Hazel eyes flickering in that direction, Hakuba saw his companion was right. The gorgeous young woman did look a tad nervous, stealing glances at a side door as she twirled. "An affair?" he deduced after a moment. It was the most logical explanation considering the circumstances.

_"Maybe,"_ Kai shrugged. _"But you can't really blame her even if she is meeting another man."_

"How can you say something like that?" Hakuba hissed softly, mindful of being overheard. In his mind, something was either right, or it was wrong. There was no in between.

_"Look at her,"_ the magician whispered urgently, trying to get the other to see his point. _"See how she shies away from her partner, and the way she moves. She is hurt, even if however did it was careful not to leave any visible marks."_

The blond almost tripped over his own two feet. Abuse?! He didn't want to believe it. However, as he continued his surveillance, Hakuba was forced to admit the other might well be correct. "I," he stuttered. "She…"

Kai cut him off with a glance. _"Sometimes the why is just as important as what and how," _she told him. _"If you want to be a tantei, I suggest you remember that."_

Unthinkingly Saguru spun her out as the music stopped, his mind still in a daze. Motive was an important part of any crime, but he had never realized that the definition of that aspect was so broad before. Kai had given him a great deal to think about. Could he really say that the woman had no right to betray her vows under such circumstances? He was brought back to his senses when Kai leaned in and kissed his cheek.

_"Thank you for the dance,"_ the magician told him. _"And the conversation." _Then she turned and walked away. She had made enough conquests for one night, and besides, the best part of the evening was yet to come. The Ming Vase was still waiting.

_PTPTPTPT_

_I know, I didn't make it to the mini-heist_

_Sniff, but I wanted to get this chapter up_

_Please review, and I'll try to get that scene typed ASAP_


	12. Chapter 12

_Sorry, been a bit out of it_

_Just got my wisdom teeth removed Wednesday_

_On the upside, am no longer a hard working college student_

_Now a hardworking college graduate_

_Peppymint B.S._

_It has a nice ring, don't you agree?_

_And now, Back to the world of fan fiction_

**Chapter Twelve**

A single, darkly clad hand emerged over the edge of the rooftop. It groped back and forth, searching for a hold. Huyu sighed faintly, before reaching down to help his foster brother back to relatively solid ground. He supposed it had been a bit much for Kai, but the younger boy had insisted he could do it.

For a moment, the twelve year old just sat there, breathing deeply through his nose. Finally though, Kaito rose to his feet, shaking out the cramps in his hands. It had been a long climb. "Next time," he announced, removing his pack. "We break into the building and take the stairs."

"That would defeat the purpose," Huyu reminded him. "We are not supposed to be breaking any laws." Hence why they were outside the building. Their presence here at this hour would be frowned upon, true, but they weren't technically doing anything wrong.

Kaito rolled his eyes. Like that would matter in a few years. Still, he saw the other's point. Instead he moved on to another subject. "Do you have the tools?" the magician asked, pulling parts of the frame out of his bag.

"Of course," the swordsman answered, retrieving his own bag from where it lay against the wall. As the pair assembled their equipment, Huyu threw the younger a side long glance. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" he questioned. It seemed a bit risky to him.

The magician shrugged as he tightened one of the joints. "Do you have a better idea to get past the dogs?" he answered Huyu's inquiry with one of his own. After a moment of silence he continued. "Throwing meat only works in the movies, and they would bark regardless." That would bring the guards running straight away. "The only way to get to the mansion undetected is by air." A pair of sharp sapphire eyes focused on the other. "But then, you know that already."

A grimace flickered over Huyu's face. "That doesn't mean I have to like it," he said lifting his end of the finished hand glider. The swordsman strapped himself in before motioning Kai to do the same. "You're sure this will work?" he asked for reassurance as they started their approach.

"Of course," Kaito said confidently. "The theory is sound."

"Theory?" the raven-haired teen demanded. "What do you mean theory?"

"Well," the magician admitted as they went over the edge. "I've never actually done this before."

Huyu had just enough time to process that statement before they were falling. "Kai!" he shrieked. Across the city, a certain young detective frowned. How odd, Saguru considered. He could have sworn he heard someone scream. The next few seconds were the longest of the swordsman's life. But soon enough, they were soaring back into the sky.

Kaito laughed breathlessly, watching the ground pass beneath them. This was better than he had imagined. None of his simulations had come close to replicating the real thing. "Don't be such a wuss nii-san!" he shouted.

His foster brother's response was unprintable, which only caused Kai to laugh harder. Huyu gritted his teeth, reminding himself that his parents would be most displeased if he returned to Japan with the other's corpse instead of a live body. The teen took a deep breath and forced himself to relax, trusting Kaito to do the steering. He would not close his eyes, no matter how tempting it was.

Despite the swordsman's fears to the contrary, the pair landed perfectly on the Earl of Gloria's rooftop, Huyu wasting no time in removing himself from what he had mentally dubbed the contraption from hell. "Never again," he hissed softly. "From now on, my feet remain firmly planted on the ground." Running across rooftops didn't count. That was an entirely different matter.

"Oh come on Huyu," Kaito said looking up at the other. "Wasn't it fun?"

The raven-haired teem pulled himself up, a severe expression crossing his face. The look gave him more than a passing resemblance to his Father. "If man were meant to fly," he stated. "He would have been born with wings." Huyu slouched, the tension draining away. "And now if you will excuse me, I am going to take a moment to pray." He dropped to one knee, closing his eyes.

A puzzled look crossed the magician's face as he stared at the older boy. "I didn't think you were religious."

One dark eye flicked open briefly before closing again. "I am considering converting."

Kaito smirked as he reached down to drag the other to his feet. "Convert later," he ordered. For now, they were on a schedule. Getting into the building seemed relatively easy, but the thief in training didn't allow himself to get cocky. There was a simple reason for that. This was basically a milk run. Dorian had given them all the information they would need. Information that would usually take weeks, or even months, of preliminary work to gather and examine. Assuming of course, that the acquired plans were accurate and up to date. These were.

They had all the key codes, and a spare I.D. The guards all kept to roving patterns, and so could be avoided. As for the fingerprint scanners, they were taken care of with a little ingenuity. Plus a bit of help from MacGyver and Mythbusters, those two shows had the coolest stuff on sometimes. The main problem arose when they reached the main hallways.

To reach the area that the Ming vase was being kept in, Huyu and Kaito had to pass through one of them. Unfortunately, the floors all had pressure sensors in them and the air was full of lasers. There was no way to turn them off either, at least not from here. The guards never moved between the various sections of the mansion.

The pair shared a determined look before Huyu pulled out a modified grapping gun. He pulled down his infrared vision goggles and took careful aim. There was a quiet whump of air as the dart was released, digging into the far wall. Passing the cord carefully to Kaito, the younger boy threaded it through a stand before pulling it tight.

The swordsman shot another, repeating the process. Then, he lifted Kaito onto his shoulders, passing the tool to him. A third dart was placed at the higher level. Huyu let the younger boy down, making sure to minimize the noise. A moment to double check the integrity of the stands and they were ready to go.

Huyu went first, years of training allowing him to pass between the ropes, avoiding the lasers with relative ease. He reached the other side without incident, back flipping off the line to land lightly on his feet. It was a performance worthy of an Olympic athlete. His foster brother wasn't impressed.

"Show off," Kaito mouthed, stepping onto the line himself. Though he was not as accomplished in the shinobi arts as his foster brother, the magician had always possessed a near instinctive grace. Something that had only been honed in recent years. He was nearly three fourths of the way across when disaster struck.

One of his tools slipped from his pack, falling towards the alarms system waiting below. Kaito only had a split second to react. Grabbing the upper cord, he swung his legs around to clamp his feet around the object, catching it bare inches from the ground. Sweat ran down his brow as he raised it bit by bit, managing to grab the tool with his mouth in a show of flexibility that would make even a contortionist cringe. Slowly the magician regained his place on the line, continuing his journey.

Huyu sighed with relief as his foster brother's feet landed on safe ground, only to cuff the magician lightly on the back of the head a heartbeat later. "Ahou," he scolded softly. "I can't believe you didn't make sure that was secure."

Somewhat surprisingly, Kaito blushed. The first thing his Tousan had ever taught him was to double check his equipment. If this had been real that mishap could have ruined everything. It was a mistake he wouldn't make again.

After that though, it was clear sailing. Kaito disarmed the systems around the vase, allowing Huyu to lift the glass. The swordsman examined the artwork reverently before lifting it off the podium. Both winced when the room filled with flashing lights, a muted alarm going off.

Eroica stepped out of a previously shadowed corner, giving the boys a brief round of applause. Gracefully pulling a remote out of one pocket, he killed the alarm.

The raven-haired teen sighed before offering the Earl the prize. It seemed they had lost. Consequently, he was surprised when Dorian motioned him back.

"Keep it," the blond told him. "The terms were for you to reach the vase." Eroica smirked. "Which you did."

Nodding, Huyu set the vase back on the stand. Carefully he walked around the object before looking back at his teacher, his features puzzled. "But what set off the alarm?" he asked. "I don't see anything."

Eroica's smirk widened as he walked forward to join the younger man. He reached inside the vase, pulling out an elaborate sensor.

Two pairs of eyes widened at that. It was inside?

"Yes," Dorian answered their unspoken question. "It was inside?" The same trick had nearly got him caught, once upon a time. After a moment he abandoned his teacher's demeanor to sweep the pair into an exuberant hug. "I am so proud of you," he gushed.

"But," Kaito objected from his place clenched against the other's chest. "We got caught."

The Earl laughed before releasing them to ruffle Kai's hair. "You'll learn young one. That is why you are here after all." Personally, he had thought the bit with the hang glider was inspired. He would have to do something about security up there.

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_All right, who should be the next thief_

_This inquiring mind wants to know_


	13. Chapter 13

_I own nothing and no one_

_I feel a bit bad because I totally spaced Kaito's birthday_

_But hey, this is his story and I am updating_

_That is something at least_

**Chapter Thirteen**

Upon returning from England, Kaito had quickly fallen into what was, to him, a comfortable routine. He attended school with the other children of the Kage clan and received additional training in the shinobi arts from his foster mother. This included the families secrets techniques. In spite of some scattered grumbling, Hitomi had taken the orphan into her family without reservation.

The preteen also sparred with Huyu. He always lost of course. But that was okay, he was improving everyday. Besides, Kaito was well aware of his inner tendency to be slightly arrogant. It came from having so few intellectual peers. If nothing else, fighting with his foster brother was a sure way to stay humble.

Kaito continued to expand his magic skills while picking up other useful techniques from other members of the small shinobi community. Lupin, Jigen, and Goemon helped teach him when they could. However, the trio's lifestyle made it uncertain just when they would be around. If they vanished too long, there would be no way to prevent the authorities from invading their relatively peaceful home. As it was, only a handful of people outside the clan even knew Goemon was married.

A wide yawn escaped Kaito's mouth as he staggered into the kitchen. His wild hair stuck out in all directions, free of the gel he had become accustomed to using. It helped keep stray locks out of his face. He had been up late last night, working on a new trick. Honestly, even later than he should have been. The magician had never needed all that much sleep. Good genes he guessed. Even so, three hours was not sufficient.

Noting the presence of three older thieves at the table, Kaito half heartedly waved at them before grabbing an onigiri off the counter. He had to meet Ken-sensei for jujutsu class in ten minutes.

As the preteen walked out the side door a pair of dark eyes watched the scene in amusement. Lupin leaned a bit closer to his partners. "Does Kai know there is tuna in that?" he asked. The plum ones were still lying by the stovetop. They hadn't been moved yet.

A moment later there was the sound of a girlish shriek and the partially eaten ball of rice came flying back through the door. It hit the wall and splattered, falling to the ground. Goemon sighed, such an unprofessional fear. More than that, it was one no amount of training seemed to be able to rid the boy of. The best Kaito had managed was to hide it through the use of strict discipline.

Still, the swordsman considered. It could be much worse. Goemon doubted that many fine gems would be displayed in aquariums. In his experience, people tended to not want large amounts of water around expensive displays. Museums were, by and large, extremely dry places.

As for Jigen, he smirked. "The kid does now," the gunman commented. After a moment more, the trio broke down, peals of laughter escaping their throats. Still chuckling, Goemon grabbed a mop, moving to clean up the abused snack. It wouldn't be at all funny if his wife saw the mess.

"Speaking of the kid," Jigen put in. "Any idea where you are sending him for winter break?"

Goemon shrugged, glancing at Lupin. For the most part, the task of contacting the Kaitou Kid's old friends had been left to the other. Not just them either, Arsene had more than a few contacts of his own they could take advantage of for Kaito's sake.

"Well," Lupin drew out the word. "I was thinking of sending him to the Niwa." His grandfather had been good friends with the patriarch of the clan of phantom thieves. Arsene himself had often played with Emiko growing up. They had never been involved, but that was more due to the entrance of the man she had married than lack of feeling.

"However?" Goemon asked, catching the tone.

Lupin shrugged. "Daisuke Niwa is going to be turning fourteen soon, and Niwa-san wanted to give his grandson a little time to get used to his destiny." Honestly, the thief didn't understand why they just hadn't told the kid years ago. It wasn't like ignorance would stop Dark from coming. In the end though, it wasn't any of his business. "Daiki did say Kai is welcome to visit next summer though."

"He is staying here then?" one of them questioned.

A slow smirk spread across Lupin's face. "I didn't say that. Just that he isn't going to the Niwa."

Jigen looked a bit impatient. "Where is he going then?" the gunman asked.

Lupin took a sip of tea. "I thought it would be nice if Kaito could spend some time with another magician. Saint Tail's place would be good."

"Saint Tail?" the gunman repeated, a displeased expression crossing his face. "That little girl?" If she was his daughter he would never let her go out thieving. Especially not dressed in a skirt. As much time as the other thief spent in the air, she was giving people the perfect opportunity to look up her dress. A white tuxedo was reasonable attire in comparison. And more than that . . .

"You can't be serious Lupin," Jigen continued. That girl had nothing to teach their ward. "Kaito is twice the magician she is, and ten times the thief." In his opinion, Saint Tail was lucky she didn't have to deal with a grown up inspector. But then, a thief who steals from other thieves wasn't high up the priority list.

"I was thinking of her Father actually," Lupin answered. "Even though he is not in the business, he is the one that taught her magic." And he could get in touch with the family through her Mother, a retired thief herself. Arsene didn't even try to hide the wide grin that was spreading across his face. How cute, the thief thought to himself. The gunman did care after all. He made a note to bring this up at some point in the future. Jigen would never live it down.

A faint flush made its way up the ex-mobsters neck as he realized how well he had been had. Like Lupin hadn't been able to say he meant the Dad in the first place. The only redeeming point of the whole incident was that Kaito wasn't present. "Whatever," Jigen shrugged, trying to cover up his previous outburst with a show of indifference. He took a large drink of his coffee. From the look his partners shared though, neither of them were fooled.

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_I apologize to all the Saint Tail fans_

_I was writing Jigen's opinion, not mine_

_And honestly I am not an expert on this series_

_From the reviews, it seems a bunch of you want to see the DNAngel Crew_

_And you will, just not until Kai is a little bit older_

_I already have a few scenes worked out in my head_

_Now if I can just find time to type my Father's Day piece, life will be grand_


	14. Chapter 14

_I own nothing and no one_

_Sorry about the lack of updates. I got stuck. But, I think I am over it now._

_And now for the summary. (drum roll)_

_Saint Tail: Meimi Haneoka, 14, is a normal girl during the daytime, but during the night, she assumes the "position" of Saint Tail, a modern-day Robin Hood who steals from thieves and gives items back to their original owners. _

**Chapter Fourteen**

Kaito had been elated when he had first heard that he was spending the winter break with Genichiro Haneoka. The man was a first-rate magician. Not quite as good as his dad had been, but still very good. He had actually met the man before when he was seven or so, but only briefly. His Tousan had taken him to see one of the other's shows. During the time Kaito had spent at the older man's home, the brunette's enthusiasm had not dimmed at all.

As much as Kai enjoyed his lessons in the art of thievery, the twelve-year old admitted, if only to himself, that magic would always be his first love. It hurt a little, to know that his dreams of becoming a professional magician would never come true. Still, he had accepted the consequences of his actions when he had chosen to follow in the Kaitou Kid's footsteps. He had known he would have to make sacrifices.

Upon first arriving at the Haneoka residence, the pre-teen had been inwardly confused by his sensei's daughter's actions. It seemed as though she were trying to hide her night job from him. Despite his bewilderment though, Kaito had possessed the sense to wait to broach the subject until the redheaded girl had left the house.

Evidently, Meimi thought both of her parents completely ignorant of her night job. Something that, quick frankly, shocked Kaito, especially considering that Saint Tail didn't wear anything to hide her face. The magician found it incredible that no one had identified her yet, given such a distinctive physical appearance.

Consequently, the other kaitou had no idea that Kai was anything other than an aspiring magician. His sensei did have a reason for that. He was not happy with the fact his daughter had become a thief, Genichiro had admitted softly, and it wasn't just because he hoped she would follow in his footsteps.

Every time the older magician entered his daughter's room to find her gone, his heart clenched in his chest. Meimi was his little girl, and he loved her. At the same time, he was afraid for her. He of all people knew that Saint Tail wasn't invincible, that magic couldn't fix everything. He had nightmares about receiving a call from the police station, telling him that his child had been arrested.

That was bad enough. But, at least he didn't have to seriously worry about Meimi being killed, which would not be the case with Kai the man knew. He may not have had all the details, but he did know that, and he didn't want to know more. He definitely didn't want his daughter to know more.

Kaito respected that. If he were in his sensei's shoes, he wouldn't want her to know either. Sometimes, he wished he wasn't in his shoes. If his Father were still alive, he would be tempted to leave the Black Organization to someone else. But Toichi wasn't, they had made sure of that.

However, his future plans in regards to his Father's murderers were neither here nor there. Kai had put all thoughts of darkly clad figures and magical gems out of his mind. The chance to pretend to be normal, if only for a while, had been too tempting to pass up.

Which is not to say his training in the shinobi arts had completely deserted him; he had been watching Saint Tail. The magician had been shocked to find that her partner in crime, so to speak, was a nun-in-training. Kaito had to admit it was a good setup in regards to collecting information, though he had to wonder if it went against the other girl's vows.

The brunette had also observed the kaitou's interaction with her most fervent pursuer, one Asuka Jr. Kaito had found it wildly amusing that Meimi had a crush on a police inspector's son. On the other hand though, if he hadn't had to leave, it was possible he would have ended up in the same boat with Aoko. Personally, he didn't think it would work out. Nevertheless, he privately wished them both the best.

One thing Kai had been impressed by was Saint Tail's use of magic throughout her heists. He had filed several tricks away for future reference, and gotten ideas for several more. The exploding egg to deliver a heist note had been great. The magician snickered, and the look on the mini-inspector's face, priceless.

Though if you asked him, Meimi could use a bit more training when it came to security. Right now she seemed more the sneak into windows type, using her magic and physical abilities to get herself out of jams. That struck Kai as just a bit risky. But hey, Saint Tail hadn't been caught yet. So she had to be doing something right.

Yep, all in all, the last four weeks had been great. But it was time to go back home now, to the Kage Complex, and hadn't it been a shock when Kai had realized he did consider that to be his home. There was still one thing left to do though. After all, what kind of magician would he be if he didn't show off his skills?

So, while waiting for the taxi that would take him back to the airport to arrive, the brunette put on an impromptu magic show. He had started out simple, with card tricks and scarves that disappeared into and out of thin air. From there, the performance had grown more advanced, moving into the realm of levitation. He had actually made his host's coat rack vanish in a manner reminiscent of David Copperfield's famous illusions. Kai's sleight-of-hand tricks were so smooth not even the other magicians caught exactly what he had done.

His sensei almost passed out from lack of oxygen caused by laughing as the pre-teen carried on an imaginary conversation with God. The deities deep booming voice seemed to echo from the ceiling, a tribute to the lessons in ventriloquism Toichi Kuroba had passed on to his son.

The finale though, came when Kaito pulled out two silver hoops, and began to juggle. More and more hoops were pulled out of thin air, the ever-changing pattern becoming more and more complex. Then the doves appeared. They flew towards the spinning hoops, vanishing as they passed through. Only to reappear as they exited different hoops. This went on for some time, until a single snap of the young magician's fingers caused a cloud of smoke to appear, both the hoops and doves disappearing without a trace.

Kai bowed, his small audience letting out a thunderous applause. A smirk spread across his features. Was he good or was he good? The brunette grabbed his bags as he rose, the taxi pulling up the curb at just the right moment. He had planned it that way. The magician waved goodbye to the family as he climbed into the vehicle, not noticing his sensei's look of shock.

Genichiro stared after his student blankly, a vision of a much older man imposed on the boy's image. It had been the smirk that had done it. He had seen that expression many times before, on a different face. Toichi? He almost whispered the name aloud.

"Tousan?" his daughter's concerned voice snapped him out of it. "Is there something wrong?"

The magician's face quickly smoothed over, his mind working at light speed to put together all the facts. "No," he answered. "Nothing." He turned back to his family. "Now who can tell me how Kai-kun managed that last trick?" he asked.

Still, even as the speculation began, the man's mind was somewhere else entirely. He didn't know anything, Genichiro decided. Therefore, he couldn't tell anyone anything. It was enough to know that his friend's son was alive.

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_Mwahahahaha! It is done_

_I swear I am never writing Saint Tail stuff again_

_Now if only I could draw. The scene with Kaito juggling the hoops and doves would make such a cool picture. If one of you wants to draw it and send it to my journal, I would love you forever. In a purely platonic manner of course._


	15. Chapter 15

_I own nothing and no one_

_Pouts, didn't receive a single review for the last chapter_

_Hopefully this one will be more popular_

_DNAngel: Niwa Daisuke is your average teenager, until his fourteenth birthday. He tries to declare his love to the girl of his dreams, but fails. Suddenly, whenever he thinks about this girl he turns into the legendary phantom thief known as Dark Mousy. Daisuke's mother, very much aware of this, makes him turn into Dark and steal valuable works of art for a purpose unknown to Daisuke. As the story unfolds, he learns why, and about his classmate Satoshi who holds Krad. Who is other half of the artwork known as the "Black Wings."_

**Chapter Fifteen **

Beep! Beep! Beep! Clunk.

Kaito groaned as he raised his face from his pillow, glaring blurrily at his alarm clock. It was too early for this. The twelve-year old was tempted, so tempted to just roll over and go back to sleep, but he knew he couldn't. There was a reason he had decided to get up so early. Even if he couldn't quite recall it at this precise moment. It would come to him he was sure.

Sighing, the magician pulled himself into an upright position, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Hold on, Kai frowned. What was that doing there? Sitting on his desk was a white envelope. One he knew had not been there the night before.

The world spun for brief moment when Kaito rose, but it quickly came into focus. His body just wasn't all the way awake yet was all. Gracefully, the boy made his way across the floor, not a single board creaking under his feet.

In the beginning, the brunette had found it extremely difficult to move about the house without setting off the system that had been built into the floor. After some time though, the skill had become so ingrained Kai didn't even think about it anymore. His footsteps would always be silent, unless he made a conscious effort to be heard, an important ability for any thief.

Curiosity shown in the magician's sapphire eyes as he picked up the envelope. What could it be. Flipping open the flap, Kaito removed the contents, his brow furrowing in confusion. It was a plane ticket. Now that was odd, he considered. Why on earth would he be leaving? It was only March.

After a moment the boy shrugged. Oh well, he was certain he would find out at breakfast. For now, he had other things to do than contemplate an unknown mystery. Such as meeting some of the other students down by the river. Which was why he was up so early, Kai recalled at last. They were doing pre-dawn maneuvers this week. He just hoped he was on Huyu's team.

By the time he and Huyu stumbled back into the house five hours later, they were definitely ready to go back to bed. More than being exhausted though, they were both starving. Not even the fact that their team had won made up for this torture, especially when the prize was, you guessed it, more training.

Fortunately, breakfast was already on the table. Kaito shot his foster Mother a grateful look, wasting no time in piling some food onto his plate. A blissful expression crossed the boy's face as he took his first bite. "I think I'm in love," he muttered, causing Hitomi to smile.

The kunoichi turned back to the stove, scooping some fresh bacon out of the pan. "More?" she inquired, amused at the sight in front of her. Teenage boys were always hungry, Hitomi reflected to herself. But then you couldn't really blame them. All that growing to do.

Huyu made an affirmative sound, holding out his plate. His mouth was too full to do anything else. Kai was just a heartbeat behind him. It didn't take long for the two to wipe their plates clean.

Lupin's left brow almost twitched. Just what were they supposed to eat? He wondered. From the look on Jigen's face, the gunman was having similar thoughts. Did the kids have hollow legs or something? Just where were they putting it all? Goemon's own stomach grumbled. It smelled really good.

The older thieves were about to start in on the warm tarts Hitomi had pulled from the oven when Kaito shoved his plate away. "So," he said. "Anyone going to explain the plane ticket I found this morning." His foster brother looked interested as well. He had gotten one too.

Lupin sighed, casting a longing look at his fresh pastry before puttimg it back down. He would have loved to have left this to Goemon, unfortunately the samurai had been faster than him. A full half of the treat was already in his mouth, same with Jigen.

"We have signed you and Huyu up for a student exchange program," Arsene answered. "You'll be leaving in two weeks to stay with the Niwa."

Well, that was great. Kai had been looking forward to meeting Dark Mousey. He was certain the centuries old kaitou had many things to share. There was just one thing though. "Erm, wasn't I going to go this summer?" he asked baffled. "What changed?"

The older thief just shrugged, his dark eyes shining with mischief. "Secret," he teased in a singsong voice placing one finger over his lips.

Kaito just rolled his eyes, sharing a sidelong glance with his foster brother. Like anything ever really stayed secret for long in a house full of ninja. Ten to one, they would know what was going on even before they left.

The days until the pairs departure flew by, and soon enough, it was time to go. Bags were packed, goodbyes were said, contacts were inserted, and hair was dyed. With silver streaks this time, so some enterprising person wouldn't realize Kaito was trying to pull attention away from his face. Sometimes being obvious was a far easier way to hide than the opposite.

The magician shielded his eyes as he disembarked from the aircraft, looking around for his ride. After a moment he spotted them, it was a man and a boy just a couple years older than him. The teenager was holding a sign that said Kai Kage.

Out of the corner of his eye Kaito could see his foster brother making his way to his own host family, but he ignored him. He could discuss things with Huyu later, once they had both settled in. Instead he approached the pair, bowing. "Good evening Niwa-san."

The magician looked deep into Daisuke's eyes. "And good evening to you as well Dark-san," he said softly. If Kaito felt at all awkward addressing an ethereal being, he did not show it.

For a moment Dark felt surprise. This was new. Even the people who knew of his existence tended to ignore his presence. That is, unless they wanted something from him. After a moment though, the black angel grinned. _"I like him Dai-chan," _he murmured into his host's mind materializing in his astral form. _"Think we can keep him?"_

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_Gah, now if I can only get this one fic idea out of my head_

_Wails, I don't even watch Smallville_


	16. Chapter 16

_Disclaimer: I own no one and nothing_

_Special thanks to Kyuubi-sama, LeonaWriter, mountainelements, _

_Twiltye, and Tai Kuroba._

_Your reviews went a long way towards reassuring me this story had not flopped._

**_Chapter Sixteen_**

A tremendous yawn emerged from Kaito's mouth as he slid the last of his things into the schoolbag, hoisting it over one shoulder. He was still a bit jetlagged. Idly, the pre-teen wondered what the school would be like. Very different than what he had become accustomed to the magician was sure.

Different than the classes from his pre-Black Org. days as well Kai knew. After all, despite his age, the twelve-year old (twelve and three quarters, the pre-teen's inner voice sulked) would be attending the same classes as Daisuke. Having all his peers older than him would certainly make a difference in terms of social interaction. He would have to be careful he didn't alienate any of the other children.

One thing the brunette wasn't worried about though was keeping up with the coursework. When Kaito was very young, the teachers had handed out a test during class. He had found it pathetically easy. The other members of his homeroom hadn't. He remembered being called to a meeting with his parents, listening as the adults discussed his scores. The terms _genius_ and _special needs_ had been bandied about.

To be honest, the young boy hadn't entirely understood what the teachers were so excited about at the time. What he did understand was that they wanted to take him from Aoko, and that he could not allow. The next time they had handed him a test he had made sure to miss some of the questions on purpose. As the years passed, Kai had always done well in school. Just not well enough to be singled out.

That was just one of many things that had changed since his Mother's death. Kai now had no reason to hold back, the opposite really. So he didn't. As a result, he was now years ahead of where he would have been if he were still living in his hometown. The young magician's thoughts were interrupted by the knock that sounded on the door.

"Kai-kun!" Emiko Niwa called. "Are you ready? It is time to go."

"Yep," Kaito replied, flinging open the door. He offered the woman his best smirk, brushing past her to saunter down the stairs. Behind him Emiko stood stunned by his cuteness, just as the magician had intended. Once he was out of sight, the pre-teen gave a sigh of relief. He did like her, she as just very excitable. That was the word, excitable. It would be best for all concerned if he and Daisuke could make it out of the house without everything becoming a grand production.

And speaking of Daisuke, there he was. "Ready?" the older boy asked, picking up his own bag.

"Ready," Kai confirmed. On their way to school, the pair engaged in casual conversation. Talking about anything and everything. Things were going well, until the subject of Daisuke's classmates came up.

"I can't wait to tell Hiwatari all about you," the redhead gushed. "It will be great, to have another person we don't have to hide from." That was one of the things he really disliked about hosting the phantom thief.

The magician stopped dead in his tracks. Hiwatari? Satoshi Hiwatari? He recognized the name. Lupin had put an extensive package of information together for him and Huyu before they had left. Kai stared at the Niwa in disbelief. "You can't be serious," he said after a moment. "No, just no."

"But," Daisuke tried to convince him. "Hiwatari-kun is nice. You'll like him."

Kaito was unmoved. "He's a cop," the kaitou in training said harshly. And unlike the other boy, he did not have the protection of being a wing host. Hiwatari couldn't expose the Niwa without exposing himself. Hard blue eyes bored into soft red ones. "You will tell him nothing," he ordered.

"You want me to lie to him?!" the redhead looked stricken. "But he is my friend."

The magician couldn't believe it. Was this guy for real? "You don't have to lie," he tried to sooth the other. "Just don't tell him everything. Say I am an exchange student who is staying with your family, nothing more." Heck, Daisuke could even say that their families knew each other. It was the truth. Just so long as he kept quiet about him being a thief.

The Niwa still did not look convinced. That is when another voice entered the conversation.

_He is right Daisuke, _Dark sounded unusually serious. He for one had never been happy with how much information his host shared with the Hikari. Not that he was going to say that. Dai-chan would just protest about the other being trustworthy. _Think of Krad, _he said instead. _My other half would probably try to kill him on principle._

Daisuke paled at the mention of the white angel. He was still trying to repress his last encounter with the murderous art piece. "All right," he said softly. He wouldn't say anything. But that didn't mean he had to like it. The rest of the trip was taken in silence.

That day in class, Kai spent far more time observing his new classmates than he did listening to the sensei. Not that it mattered, his eidetic memory would ensure he remembered every word perfectly. For the most part, his peers could pass for what most people considered normal, though a few of them had definite quirks. Such as Risa's obsessive crush on Dark Mousey. Still, the magician didn't find them that interesting.

Which meant that the majority of Kaito's attention was focused on Satoshi Hiwatari, and Daisuke Niwa. A more mismatched pair the brunette had never seen. Daisuke blushed easily, stammered when nervous, and was incisively clumsy. Something that was added to the list of things that made it hard to believe the other was a kaitou.

Satoshi, on the other hand, was intelligent, cold, and considered control to be a religion. The blue-haired boy was coiled so tightly he made Hakuba looked relaxed in comparison. Somehow, Kai got the idea that more than just Krad's presence had contributed to this. He made a mental note to look into the commander's home life. Knowing one's enemies was, after all, one of the keys to success.

The magician spent the rest of the day quietly lost in thought, only stirring when he and Daisuke returned to the Niwa home. Sapphire eyes examined the state of the art electronic lock with a professional's eyes. Nice, he thought to himself. Very nice. Kai glanced at his companion. "What's the code?"

Daisuke shrugged. "Who knows," he stated glumly fingers dancing over the keyboard. "Kaasan changes it everyday."

Kaito watched as the older boy skillfully hacked the system. After a moment the system switched to green, the gate opening. One brow raised in faint surprise. That had been very skillfully done. Perhaps, the magician considered as he followed the Niwa inside. I have misjudged him.

The redhead hesitated as he opened the front door, biting his lip. "I should probably warn you," he said.

A puzzled expression crossed Kaito's face. "Warn me?" he repeated. "About what?"

Daisuke started to answer only to have his eyes widen dramatically. "Look out!" he shouted.

Kai reacted instantly, avoiding the weighted net that fell on his previous position. Almost immediately, he was forced to jump into the air as the floor beneath his feet dropped out from under him. He grabbed Daisuke's arm with one hand.

The other boy took the opportunity to swing himself past the hole, landing in a rolling crouch. As the pair dodged their way down the hall of obstacles including sharpened poles, moving floors, and flying objects, Kai noticed that the redhead's clumsiness had virtually disappeared. Finally they made it to the living room, closing the door behind them with a sense of relief.

A wry grin spread across the magician's face as he threw a glance at Daisuke. "I assume that was what you were going to warn me about."

The Niwa looked a bit sheepish. "Yeah," he took a step forward, only to trip on the rug, knocking his head hard against the coffee table when he fell. "Ouch," the teen groaned, reaching up to grab his head.

Kai just sweat dropped. On the other hand, maybe he hadn't misjudged him at all.

_PTPTPTPTPTPT_

_Another chapter up_

_Hope you liked it and please review_

_It makes me a happy person_

_On another note, lost notebook has been found_

_Wipes brow, thank God for that_


	17. Chapter 17

_Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one_

**Chapter Seventeen**

One thing Kai knew he would miss when he left the Niwa's home was their library. Upon first seeing the collection, his first thought had been one of awe. He could spend years in this place. They had books on every possible subject. Titles both extremely common, and impossibly rare. The best part though, was the books on magic.

Not stage magic, the pre-teen was talking about the real thing. Take for instance the book he was currently reading. It was titled _A Treatise On Intradimensional Pockets. _'Also known as hammerspace by millions of manga readers' Kaito added in his head. Truthfully, the book was a lot more interesting than it sounded. The brunette suspected the author had only titled it that way to ensure he would be taken seriously. The text was also extremely useful.

It was a little known fact that not all of the Kuroba family's tricks were smoke and mirrors. They were Magicians with a capital M. As a child, Toichi had always taught his son the mundane tricks first, then how to replicate them with Magic. Just because they had real power, he had said. Was no reason to be lazy.

Unfortunately, knowledge on said tricks had been passed down verbatim, from generation to generation. Thus his Father's death had left serious holes in his education. Every magical ability Kaito had picked up since then had been discovered purely through trial and error. Something that could be extremely dangerous. On one occasion, shortly after his ninth birthday, the magician had knocked himself out for a good eight hours. His Mother had been on the verge of taking him to the hospital when he awakened.

That particular incident had been an excellent object lesson in regards to understanding one's limits. Kai knew he shouldn't even attempt to cast nearly three quarters of the spells he had come across so far. Not unless he wanted to kill himself anyway. Dark had more magic in his little finger than he had in his entire body the magician knew.

Even the stuff he couldn't cast was helping a lot. A new file had been opened in the back of the brunette's mind, one labeled magical theory. Every bit of knowledge he could glean while he was here would help tremendously in his future endeavors. Plus, even the tricks he couldn't do with real magic, he could always revert to the other variety. Kaito had an awesome idea in regards to a book on shapeshifting he had come across. Even if he was super disappointed he wasn't strong enough to actually turn into a bird.

The magician's mental plans for future breaking of police officers' minds came to an abrupt halt when he spotted a shadow out of the corner of his eye. Kai spun to face what he viewed as an oncoming threat, hands coming up to block his chest. A good thing too, considering the flying right kick impacted with his crossed arms a heartbeat later.

The force of the blow had Kaito staggering back a step, the follow up sending the book flying out of his hand. He back flipped into a defensive position, his blue eyes narrowing as he glared at his attacker. "Hey!" the magician objected. "I was reading that!"

"Too bad," the raven haired teen said coolly, not sounding sorry at all. He gave his foster brother a penetrating stare. "You've been slacking."

"Have not," Kai squawked indignantly. Sure he had been a bit too busy the last few weeks to find a dojo, and it was true. He hadn't seen his foster brother since their arrival at the airport, but that didn't mean he had been slacking. He had been running his kata every night.

"Have so," Huyu shot back.

"Have not!"

"Have so, have so, have so," his foster brother taunted, not moving from his spot on the lawn.

A highly insulted look passed over Kai's face and he shifted into a stance for one of his favorite styles, the snake from shaolin kung fu. It was designed for smaller people and contained constant movement. Of indirect strikes from odd directions which required great flexibility. In short, it suited the slender young man perfectly.

In response, Huyu moved into tiger stance, charging at his foster brother with claw like fingers extended. He took several swipes at the younger boy, all of which were dodged or deflected (though only just) as Kaito danced and slid around him.

Though the magician was outwardly composed, his inward reaction was more along the lines of _oh shit_. He knew the other well enough to tell when Huyu was pissed, and right now he most definitely was. Which was not to say the fourteenth generation renegade samurai wasn't still holding back. He was, else Kaito would be down already, possibly in pieces.

The older teen snagged one of Kai's arms as it shot past, twisting it behind the brunette's back. Kaito twisted as well, wrapping one leg around his foster brother's knees as he brought his body back in line. His strategy backfired when Huyu allowed himself to fall backwards, throwing the magician over his head.

Kaito hit the ground and rolled, one step ahead of the samurai's foot stomp. He managed to avoid the kick in the ribs as well by arching his back, flipping up over his hands to regain his feet, only to catch a punch straight to the stomach.

It was about this time that Daisuke turned the corner, staring wide eyed at the scene in front of him. He flinched at the uppercut that slammed into Kaito's jaw, knocking him off balance. _Dark! _he called frantically, waking the angel from a nap.

Violet eyes snapped open, alerted by the urgency in his tamer's voice. _What is it Daisuke?_

_You have to do something, _the redhead burbled panic stricken. This looked serious.

Dark followed the Niwa's gaze to see Kaito drop to the ground, attempting to sweep his opponent's legs out from under him. It didn't work. After a moments more observation the angel yawned, stretching his arms to the sky before scratching his head. _Nah, _he answered back. _It's fine._

_But, _Daisuke protested. _But Kage-kun is in trouble._

_They are only sparing. _In Dark's opinion, that was one skill his partner could definitely afford to pick up. As it was, the redhead was pretty much helpless without him. He made a mental note to try to do something about that in the near future.

As the Niwa sputtered incoherently, Huyu delivered his coup de grace. A kick spin combo that left his foster brother groaning on the ground. He leaned down, pinning the magician and whispered in his ear. "The Ryoma Dojo across town, 4 p.m. tomorrow," his breath was warm against the other's cheek. "Be there or else."

Kaito nodded painfully, climbing to his feet as the older boy released him. Huyu grinned then, reaching out to ruffle the other's hair. "Now go put some ice on that," he ordered.

Nodding in agreement, the magician limped inside, removing some ice from the freezer. He closed the door, surprised to come face to face with Dark. "Good evening," he greeted the phantom thief.

The black angel didn't reply, only looking thoughtful as he examined the shallow gash on Kaito's arm where the brunette had scrapped it. He whispered a spell, moving his glowing hand along the wound. A moment later it was gone.

A pair of sapphire eyes widened as Kaito examined the now smooth skin. 'Wow' he thought to himself. The pre-teen looked up at Dark. "Think I can do that one?" he asked.

The kaitou considered it a moment. The boy certainly couldn't do it everyday. It required too much magic, but in case of an emergency. "Yeah," he answered. "You should be able to manage it." He likewise ruffled the boy's hair, like Huyu had before him. "Now get some rest, I'll teach it to you tomorrow."

Kaito bounced to his feet, looking very excited. "Hai sensei!" he chirped skipping over to the stairs. He couldn't wait for tomorrow to come.

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_Thank you to all my dedicated readers_

_And to any experienced martial artists out there who have noticed a glaring mistake_

_I apologize, I have taken one term of karate and one of judo_

_I used youtube to get a basic idea of how some of this stuff looks _


	18. Chapter 18

_I own nothing and no one_

_Am never volunteering to help with anything ever again. When I promised Mom I would help with the kids last week at Vacation Bible School I had no idea how much time it would take up. Am lucky I managed to get eight hours of sleep per night. So, sorry about the delay. And now, let's get on with the show._

**Chapter Eighteen**

"But Mom!" the magician heard a voice rise in protest. "I had plans tonight." Kaito's hearing wasn't quite good enough to make out Emiko's response. But whatever it was, it was not to her son's liking as a moment later Daisuke burst into their shared room, slamming the door behind him.

"It's not fair," the redhead moaned, flopping onto his bed. He looked miserable.

Kaito raised one brow in inquiry. "What's not fair?"

"Kaasan sent a heist note," the Niwa complained. It was too much to hope for that his Mother would ever stop. She believed stealing was his destiny. But still, she could have at least asked him first. Now what was he going to tell his friends?

As Daisuke underwent this internal monologue, a pair of blue eyes sharpened with interest. "Really," Kai drawled, abandoning the math problems he had been working on. "That's very interesting." He made a mental note to call Huyu; his foster brother would want to know this as well.

The older boy sent Kaito a half -hearted glare. "That is easy for you to say," he complained. "You're not the one who has to go steal it. I don't even want to be a thief!" He hated it.

A puzzled expression passed over the magician's face. He supposed he could understand not wanting to be a thief. Sometimes he didn't want to be a thief. But in this case, his train of thought trailed off as he looked back at Daisuke. "Then why do you?" he asked.

Daisuke stared at the other blankly. Why did he what? Why was he a thief? "I sort of have to be," he answered.

The magician shrugged. "Not really," he answered. "You could just go to sleep and let Dark take care of things." It wasn't as if the angel really needed his host's help.

The redhead sputtered. Let Dark run around with his body! That was out of the question. What if he got caught? Daisuke didn't even realize he had said the last bit aloud until Kai snorted.

"You don't honestly think Dark has gotten by the last four hundred years by luck alone, do you?" Kaito laughed. In his opinion, anyone who thought Dark was stupid was the real fool. He could see through the angel's masks well enough. "You could have a bit more faith in him."

Privately, Dark agreed. He enjoyed the façade he showed to the world. Still, just once, it would be nice if someone bothered to look a bit deeper.

Later that evening Kaito found himself standing outside the museum. It wasn't that hard to examine the site. He didn't even have to hide the fact he was looking around. No one noticed just one more awe struck visitor.

"Don't tell me you're a fan of that stupid thief too Kage-kun," a familiar voice spoke up from behind the magician.

Kai turned, unsurprised to see the scowl that had firmly planted itself on Riku's face. "Good evening Harada-san," he greeted. "And no, I was merely curious to see what all the fuss was about."

It was true, after a fashion. The boy in no way compared himself to the screaming hordes of fan girls that were crowding the courtyard below. He was one of Dark's peers. The two things were in no way similar. "So what brings you here?" he asked.

If anything, the young woman's scowl deepened. "My sister," she said shortly. The two twins had always had very different interests, but this new faze of Risa's was just over the top. The way things were going, the other was going to get herself seriously hurt.

Kai nodded sagely. He too had been exposed to Risa's obsession with the kaitou. "I'll just leave you to that then. Have a nice evening." After she wished him the same, the pair parted ways, which was just fine with the magician.

Kaito took the opportunity to find a large tree with an excellent view of the grounds. Once he had comfortably situated himself on a branch, the boy pulled out his computer, glancing at his watch as he did so. A large grin spread across his face. "Showtime," he whispered.

Unlike the rest of the crowd though, the magician did not have to wait until Dark exited the building for the action to begin. Earlier in the evening, Kai (with help from Huyu) had taken the opportunity to rig the interior of the museum with hidden cameras. Camera's which where now broadcasting to his laptop.

After a few moments of observation, Kaito shook his head in disgust. Oh, not at Dark, the kaitou was in fine form tonight. But at the so-called Supreme Commander. What kind of commander just abandoned his men like that? From what the magician could see, it seemed as though Satoshi viewed his men as nothing more than liabilities, dragging him down.

Foolish that. If the blue-haired teen had bothered to utilize the forces available to him, his chances of catching the black angel would have greatly increased. Not, Kai interrupted his own train of thought, that he actually wanted Dark to be caught. He was totally on the other thief's side.

The magician muffled a laugh as the Hikari fell into one of Dark's traps, leaving him out of the game. At least for the rest of that night. Once Satoshi had been neutralized, retrieving the artwork and exiting the building was child's play to the veteran kaitou.

Kaito's sapphire eyes flickered up, away from the screen, at the sound of breaking glass. And there he was, the Phantom Thief Dark Mousey in all his glory, raven wings outstretched. The magician had to admit, it looked very dramatic. The older kaitou could have flown off right then, and no one could have stopped him.

However, Dark wasn't finished yet. The purple-haired man grinned, dropping lightly to the ground. He plucked a single rose off a nearby bush, offering it to one of his fans and causing the girl to blush prettily. All the while, the police officers cursed in the background.

Finally, one member of the squad got close enough to jump Dark, only to fall flat on his face when the angel dodged. The kaitou just grinned more, running easily through the crowds and vaulting up onto the museum wall. Turning, he surveyed the scene one last time before tossing the crowd a kiss. Then he stepped off the edge into the darkness, vanishing from sight.

A look of admiration crossed Kai's face as he watched the chaos unfold. Now that had taken style. He had been especially impressed with how easily Dark had made the young woman swoon. That was a trick he definitely needed to pick up. His purpose completed, the young man smoothly rose to his feet. A heartbeat later, he was gone as well.

_PTPTPTPT_

_Hope there are no glaring errors_

_But I really wanted to get this up tonight_


	19. Chapter 19

_I own nothing and no one_

_This chapter is skipping closer to the beginning of summer_

_The school term is almost over_

**Chapter Nineteen **

A pair of sapphire blue eyes gazed at the full moon as the wind ruffled his hair. It was a beautiful night, clear and warm. This was why Kaito was lying on the roof as oppose to being asleep in his bed. No doubt Emiko would have objected to his presence outside if she had known of it. But what kind of thief-in-training would he be if he were incapable of sneaking out his own window?

"Hey," a voice spoke up without warning.

Kai glanced to the right to see Dark standing not ten feet away. The black angel's hands were tucked into his pockets as he too stared at the night sky. The boy sat up, stretching out his arms. "Hey yourself," he greeted. "Daisuke asleep?"

The violet-eyed man nodded. "Yeah, though I can wake him if you want to speak to him." Dark hadn't even finished his response before Kai was shaking his head.

"That is not necessary."

Dark blinked. The words had been spoken calmly, but still. "I didn't know you disliked him." The other boy had hidden it well if that were the case.

Kai pulled a deck of cards from nowhere, shuffling them in complicated patterns as he gathered is thoughts. "It is not that I dislike him," the magician said carefully. He enjoyed the Niwa's company. "It is just," his voice trailed off briefly before charging forward. "It's just that Daisuke is such a child."

The angel snorted. That seemed an odd way to phrase it considering his host was more than a year older than Kai.

A faint scowl crossed the magician's face and he rolled his eyes. "Don't even give me that look Dark," he said. "You know exactly what I mean." Kai haphazardly ran one hand through his silver streaked hair. "At best," he struggled to find the right words. "Niwa-kun is hopelessly innocent. At worst, he is dangerously naïve."

In his opinion the redhead's family hadn't done Daisuke any favors by shielding him so thoroughly from the realities of the world. From his perspective, Kai found the older boy's problems to be trivial in comparison to his own.

Oh, the magician wouldn't want the Niwa to have his problems. But, considering Daisuke's biggest obstacles in life involved having to share his body with an art piece, and having trouble spending time with the girl he had a crush on, Kai thought the other complained just a little too much. Did he even think of how Dark felt? This last thought was voiced to the angel.

The phantom thief arched one brow. "Me?" he echoed. "Think? My dear Kai-kun, that idea would prompt much jest in some quarters." He placed one hand over his heart, posing dramatically. "Why, my head is full of fluff and my heart is as shallow as a puddle."

Now it was Kai's turn to snort. "Nice," he mocked. "Now pull the other." He looked straight into the black angel's eyes. "You can't hide from someone who wears similar masks," he said softly. "I can see right through you."

For the rest of the night, the pair sat in silence. Though Kai really regretted it the next morning. Especially when he fell asleep in class, earning himself a detention. The magician sighed as he beat the erasers together, sneezing when he accidentally inhaled part of the cloud. He hated chalk dust.

The magician's stride instinctively slowed as he approached the Niwa residence that evening. Something was wrong. It was too quiet. He dropped his bag, vaulting over the fence and using the bushes for cover as he slowly made his way towards the house.

Kai silently slipped inside one of the windows, pulling out a pair of his throwing knives. The familiar weight of the blades made him feel much more secure. Blue eyes darted from right to left as he slunk down the hallway. Where was everyone? He spun around when the lights flipped on, spinning into a defensive position.

"Surprise!" everyone shouted. All the Niwa were there, not to mention Towa and Argentine (two of the other Hikari art pieces), plus his foster brother. The room had been decorated and a giant cake sat on the dining table, along with a full punchbowl. Emiko smiled. "Happy Birthday Kai-kun."

Kaito blinked, slipping the knives back into his clothing. "But," he objected. "My birthday isn't until next week."

Daisuke's Father shrugged. "True," he admitted. "But we wanted it to be a surprise." He pulled out the matches, lighting thirteen candles.

All in all, the party was a huge success. They ate, Kaito opened presents. In fact, the party was just winding down when Dark made his appearance, emerging from within Daisuke. It seemed he had something for the magician as well.

"Here," the angel said, trusting a single black feather into Kai's hands. "Hold this." Then, he began to chant.

To be honest, the boy wasn't quite sure a how he felt about being directly in the center of what was clearly an extremely powerful spell. However, he knew better than to interrupt it. That _would _have dire consequences he knew. As Dark's voice rose on the last syllable, the feather twisted out of his grip, a cloud of black smoke forming around it.

When it cleared, what appeared to be a smoky gray kitten sat in front of Kai. The creature tilted her head to one side, looking up at the magician with eyes the same color as his own. "Paru?" she inquired.

Kai resisted the urge to squeal as he picked up his gift. It was just so cute. In the back of his mind, he could feel the familiar's (for that was what the creature was) smug agreement. She was very cute. "I think I'll call her Psyche," he announced.

The magician glanced up at Dark, still stroking his familiar's fur. "So what does she do?" he asked.

Dark shrugged, stepping a bit closer. "Clothes mostly," he answered. "She is a shapeshifter, like With but not as powerful. She should even be able to manage a hang glider." Having a partner in the air would at least decrease his worry about someone shooting the young man down. Kai was the best friend he had had outside the Niwa in centuries, and he didn't want to lose him.

Kaito nodded, that made sense. After all, Psyche's power was based on his own. Just like With was linked to Dark's. "What else?" he asked.

The angel tried to look innocent. "Else?" he repeated. "What makes you think there is anything else?"

"Because I know you Dark."

In response to this the kaitou just grinned. "It's a surprise," he confided. He was sure Kai would find out eventually. But until then, the teen would just have to be patient.

_PTPTPTPTPTPT_

_Another chapter up_

_And as always, please review_


	20. Chapter 20

_I own nothing and no one_

**Omake**

_(probably should have done with the previous chapter, but I just thought of it)_

A pair of curious sapphire eyes watched the rabbit thing make its way across the yard. Cautiously, Psyche approached. "Paru," she greeted the other familiar.

Wiz twitched his nose, approaching as well. He tilted his head to one side. "Kyu?"

"Paru," the gray kitten answered back.

"Kyu, Kyu, Kyu."

The look in the younger familiar's eyes grew mischievous as she crouched, her tail twitching back and forth. "Paru," Psyche mewed. Then she pounced.

Wiz squealed as he took off across the lawn, the kitten hard on his heels. Unfortunately for him, he didn't get far. Psyche hit him square in the back, sending the rabbit tumbling head over heels.

When the pair finished rolling, Psyche was on top. The kitten looked immeasurably smug. That is when a pair of slender hands wrapped around her midsection, lifting her into the air.

It was her master. Kaito looked amused, but at the same time a bit concerned. "Come on Psyche," he placed her small body on his shoulder. "We need to have a little talk." Chasing leaves was all fine and well, but the kitten needed to understand that living creatures were off limits, especially doves.

**Chapter Twenty**

"Paru?"

Kaito glanced at the small creature for a moment, his shirt halfway over his head. "No," he said. "You can't go."

"Paru," Psyche whined, her sapphire eyes shimmering as she looked up at her Master pathetically.

"And don't even look at me like that," the teenager chided. Really, it shouldn't be possible for a cat-like being to have such a devastating puppy dog look. "There are no pets allowed inside the amusement park."

Now Psyche felt insulted. She was not a pet. She sent as much to Kaito.

The magician sighed as the feeling flooded his mind. "I know that," he reassured his familiar. "But they don't." It hadn't taken him long to get into the habit of speaking to Psyche as though she were human. She was very intelligent. In all honesty, Kai wouldn't be surprised in the least if she did learn how to speak one day.

If anything, the gray kitten's pout deepened at this. How could she protect her Master the way she was supposed to if he left her behind? Meanwhile, Kai was busy staring at the wall. 'Resist,' he chanted to himself. 'Must resist.' Psyche got away with too much already.

Consequently, the teen was surprised when the kitten leapt onto his shoulder, nuzzling his ear briefly. Then, her body began to shift, forming a long chain that wrapped around Kai's waist to form a belt. It looked very fashionable.

For an instant Kaito just stared, a look of consternation crossing his face. Knowing Psyche could shift and seeing it were two different things after all. A faint sigh escaped his throat. "All right," he conceded. "You can come," he gently ran his fingers over his new belt. "So long as no one sees you."

Psyche sent back a feeling of agreement, along with some smug satisfaction. She knew her Master would see it her way. With that, she settled down for a long nap, the belt shifting briefly before settling again. Kai wasn't going anywhere without her.

The pair's discussion had been finished in the knick of time, as that is when his foster brother knocked on the hotel door. "Kai," he called. "Are you coming?" If they didn't hurry they were going to miss the shuttle. Not the best start to a family vacation.

Kaito threw the door open. "Yeah yeah," he groused. "I'm here." He glanced around the empty hallway briefly. "Where are the others?" he asked.

"Downstairs," Huyu answered, hitting the button to summon the elevator. There was a faint ding as it arrived, and the two teenagers stepped inside. They were passing the tenth floor when the swordsman noticed a faint rumbling. His brow furrowed, dark eyes flicking from right to left. Where was it coming from?

Finally, Huyu nudged his foster brother in the side. "Hey," he said. "Do you hear that?" It sounded somewhat familiar, but he just couldn't place it.

It took the magician a moment to figure out what the other was talking about, but when he did Kai blushed. "It's Psyche," he informed Huyu, pointing at the belt.

The fourteenth generation renegade samurai stared a moment. Then he laughed. "She's purring," he stated delighted.

"It isn't that funny," Kaito huffed, an annoyed expression crossing his face. Though it was a little uncomfortable, he admitted to himself. His belt was vibrating. In fact, he should probably do something about that.

The magician reached down to gently poke his familiar awake. "Stop that," he ordered. "Someone will notice."

Psyche briefly returned to her natural form, giving her Master a dirty look before shifting again. This time into a scarf which wrapped around Kai's neck. Just in time for the elevator doors to pop open.

As the pair walked towards where the others were waiting Kai could not help but notice that Psyche was purring again, though this time much softer. He considered the matter briefly before shrugging. It was good enough he supposed. Besides, he should have known better than to argue with a cat.

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_Wow, this is getting long_

_I can't believe it is twenty chapters already_

_And for all you Fujiko fans_

_She will be appearing in the next chapter_

_As for what will happen_

_Well, you will just have to wait and see_


	21. Chapter 21

_**I own nothing and no one**_

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Thus far, the day had been a great success. Jigen was currently amusing himself at one of the shooting booths. The proprietor of which seemed to be on the verge of having a fit. If things kept up at their current rate, the professional gunman was going to drive the man into bankruptcy.

Huyu had elected to go with his foster brother, and Lupin had decided to follow the two teenagers, supposedly to keep them out of trouble. Personally though, the magician thought it was far more likely things would end up the other way around. This had left Goemon and his wife free to have a bit of privacy.

Currently, the two teens, plus their chaperone, were making their way down the boulevard, looking at the various displays. The carnival had some very good performances going on. One of them especially had caught the magician's eye.

Kaito watched one brightly clad man with a speculative expression. He himself was an accomplished juggler, but he had never witnessed someone using yoyos to such an effect. Blue eyes narrowed in fascination as the small toys weaved through the performer's hands in increasingly complicated patterns. He totally had to learn to do that. Maybe the man would give him some tips when he was finished.

"You know," Lupin whispered, leaning down to the boy's ear. "Yoyos were originally used as weapons."

If anything, this caused the magician's gaze to sharpen. Really? Wasn't that interesting? He could see how that could be so. One properly aimed blow could easily relieve a man of consciousness. They would be even more effective if made of a denser material, and perhaps some different cord. Something stronger. Kai's scheming was interrupted when a feminine voice shouted his guardian's name.

"Lupin!" a drop dead gorgeous woman was making her way across the way. "Lupin is that you." She wrapped her arms around the thief. "I was starting to think you were avoiding me lover."

"Fuji-cakes," Lupin laughed nervously as he untangled himself. Truth be told, he had been. He hadn't seen the other since shortly after Kaito had come into his and his partners' care.

Meanwhile, Kai just watched the woman curiously. So this was Fujiko Mine. The woman his guardian may or may not have been in love with. Making his decision, the brunette stepped forward. "So," he inquired, well aware of his foster brother moving to stand at his side. "You gonna introduce us?"

The woman glanced over at the two teens. The older was obviously Goemon's son, but the other. Her heart seized in her chest. "Lupin," she choked. "Is he yours?" The thought that he was sent an uncomfortable, not to mention unfamiliar feeling through her.

"Yes," the thief answered without thinking. "I mean no. I," he ran one hand through his hair in an effort to regain his composure. "It's complicated. His Father was a friend, and his Mother left him in my care."

Fujiko was inwardly relieved. Outwardly however, she didn't show it. She reached out to tilt the teen's head up, a brilliant smile spreading across her face. "He's so cute!" she cooed. "Though much too young for me of course." She let go of the magician. "So what's his name?"

"I'm Kai," the magician greeted, smiling charmingly. "Kai Kage." Going by his assumed name was second nature by now.

One perfectly shaped brow rose. Kage? Now, Fujiko hadn't been invited to the wedding, but she knew full well that was Goemon's wife's maiden name. She looked at Lupin questioningly.

The man hesitated briefly before giving into the inevitable. "We had to hide him from his parents' killers," he explained shortly. "Changing his name was necessary."

A pair of dark eyes widened and Fujiko looked back at the teen. She was no stranger to the dark portions of the world. She knew full well that real monsters existed. Men and woman who would not hesitate to kill a child. "Why didn't you come to me?" she asked softly. "I could have helped."

Lupin's lips hardened. "Because," he said. "I did not know where your loyalties lied. And I could not afford to take any risks, not with Kai's life."

The gorgeous woman took a step backwards, looking stricken. "You," she murmured, eyes going glassy. "You didn't trust me."

Kai bit his lip, looking nervously from one adult to the other. This did not look good. He cleared his throat. "I'm just going to go grab a soda or something." Quickly he grabbed Huyu's arm, dragging his foster brother away from the pair.

Lupin watched them go before turning back to Fujiko. "How many times have you betrayed me?" he asked, face unusually serious. "How could I be sure you wouldn't do it again?" He reached up to tuck a bit of hair behind her ear. "I may love you Fujiko Mine, but I sure as hell don't trust you."

A single tear slid down the woman's cheek, before she turned and fled. Her muffled sobs echoing in the thief's ears.

It was late that evening before Fujiko reappeared, waltzing into the group's hotel room as though she hadn't a care in the world. The beauty was once more her usual immaculate self, arms full of shopping bags.

"For Christ's sake," Jigen swore, pulling down his hat over his face. He had thought they were rid of her for good.

Typically the woman ignored him, making her way straight to the magician. "Good evening Kai-kun," she greeted handing him a bag. "This is for you."

Frowning, Kaito reached into the bag to pull out a blond wig. What was this? He looked up at the woman confused.

"Oh," Fujiko pulled out a fan. "I have decided to help you with your skills in disguise." She gave the men a look. "I can't trust any of them to do a proper job in instructing you in the feminine wiles."

Kai just looked bemused. "But I can already pass as a woman."

Fujiko laughed, the intoxicating sound filling the room. "My dear boy, there is a great deal of difference in being a woman and being a _woman. _She lowered her eyes, looking demure. "I am going to teach you the later." She grabbed Kai by the hand, pulling him into the next room. "Now let's just get you changed."

About half an hour had passed before the pair emerged. The teenager had been totally transformed. Long blond hair cascaded around a heart shaped face. A tight leather corset showing off her assets while a black mini-skirt just barely preserved her modesty. The stilettos completed the outfit.

Sharing a mischievous look, Kai and Fujiko giggled before disappearing out the door. It was time to break some hearts. While Lupin and his partners stared, Huyu made a strangled sound. This was not happening.

Jumping to his feet, the samurai grabbed his katana before darting out the door. There was no way his little brother/sister was going around unescorted dressed like that. Now if he could just convince Psyche to take his side. The familiar's aid would be very useful in driving away unwanted suitors.

_PTPTPTPTPTPT_

_For those confused about Lupin being Kaito's guardian_

_His Mom did leave him in his care_

_Though at the same time it is Goemon who is his foster father_

_Confusing I know. Just think of them as having joint custody._

_Raising Kai has become a group effort._

_Hope you liked this chapter and please review._


	22. Chapter 22

_I own nothing and no one_

_And look, that disclaimer now includes a new fandom_

_Though you have serious issues if you don't know this one_

_Batman: At a young age, Bruce Wayne witnesses his parents' murder. After years of training all over the world (sort of like Kai is doing now) he returns to his hometown Gotham to become the masked crime fighter known as The Batman. He fights a number of colorful villains including a thief known as Catwoman aka Selina Kyle. Proving that no one is perfect, he falls in love with her. Also, just so you know Dick Grayson is currently Robin. Right now he is between Huyu and Kaito age wise._

**Chapter Twenty-two **

A faint frown crossed Selina's face as she hung up the telephone. Well, that had been unexpected. Personally, she was not overly found of Lupin. That man was too much of a womanizer for her tastes. Plus there had been the small matter of that gold statue six years ago, the one of Bast. She had really wanted it, but that was neither here nor there.

Whatever Selina's feelings for Arsene Lupin the Third though, the Kaitou Kid was another matter. He had never been other than the perfect gentleman, and he had known how to make her laugh. Kid had possessed the rare gift of being able to brighten her mood no matter what.

One slender finger reached out to stroke the edge of the small portrait of tigers sitting on the end table. It had been a gift from the other. There had been no special occasion. Kid had seen and thought she would like it. So he had gotten it for her. It was as simple as that.

Privately, Selina admitted to herself that she had already made her decision. She would be glad to mentor Kid's son for a few weeks. The other boy too she supposed. Just as long as Lupin didn't tag along. This would require her to make some changes to her short term plans however.

That heist she was preparing for was definitely out, at least for the foreseeable future. Batman could hardly object to her training the kid to take down his family's murderers. Heck, the man might even approve. Bruce had trained with more questionable people than herself on his jaunt around the world, and it wasn't like vigilantism was strictly legal anyway.

However, Selina did know that the Batman would not approve of her breaking and entering into a museum with two teenagers in tow. She wasn't quite sure what steps he would take if that actually occurred. But, whatever they would be, the situation was best avoided entirely. There were many things she could teach the pair without breaking the letter of the law.

Speaking of which, the two teenager's records may be entirely clean now. However, Selina knew that would not always be so. In which case, it would be better if dear justice driven Bruce never saw their faces. She sighed. Great, that meant she needed a new lair. Not to mention costumes for the pair.

No doubt it would be expensive to get things set up so quickly. The Penguin would probably charge her an arm and a leg. Okay, not an arm and a leg precisely, but definitely that nice collection of gemstones she had just picked up. Pity as she had intended to donate that profit to the Center for Endangered Cats.

Though, Selina knew Batman and the Penguin wouldn't be her biggest problems. She had lived in Gotham all her life. She knew full well how dangerous the city could be. The place grew psychos like a forest grew trees.

The slender woman rose from the couch, crossing the room on silent feet. She threw open the closet doors to reveal her Catwoman costume, slipping into the skin tight material. First, she would need to pay a call to Bruce, and then . . .

A dangerous grin crossed Selina's face as five wickedly sharp claws sprouted from the tips of her fingers. It had been awhile since she had been down at the Iceberg. Maybe it was time to catch up with the rest of the Rouge's Gallery. Make sure none of them thought she had gone soft. No one was harming Kai on her watch.

It didn't take long for everything to get settled, and just in time too, because Kai and Huyu had arrived. Jigen had dropped them off at the city limits before hightailing it. Catwoman didn't like him all that much either. One little mistake involving that furball of hers and that's that. You are on her list for life.

Kai wrinkled his nose as he looked down at his outfit. "Do I have to wear this?" the magician asked. "It's embarrassing." He was sure that the fact Psyche was sitting on his shoulder did nothing to improve his image either. Although the familiar had immediately charmed their host. Things like this should only be worn on Halloween. Truth be told, Huyu agreed with him. But the samurai said nothing.

Selina only laughed. "This is Gotham," she said simply. "The rules are different here." Honestly, the pair would stand out if they weren't wearing costumes. She pointed at the magician. "You can be Catspaw, and you." The woman tilted her head to one side, regarding Huyu. "You can be Sphynx."

The pair shared a glance. "Well," Huyu ventured at last. "Father always did say we should develop a certain tolerance for local customs." It was only for three weeks. They could deal with it until then.

Catwoman smiled, throwing open the large window to the night air. "Excellent," she said, pulling out her whip. "Then let's go."

Meanwhile, back in Japan. "What do you mean you sent my babies to Gotham!" Turquoise eyes flashed with an inner fire as Hitomi glared as the object of her ire.

Lupin held his hands up in a placating manner, taking a few prudent steps backwards. He knew full well that the black-haired woman was just as dangerous as her husband, if not more so. "Now Hitomi-chan," he said soothingly. "Let's not do anything hasty. Gotham is perfectly safe."

"Safe," the ninja hissed through clenched teeth. Hadn't been just last month that the Joker had held an entire hospital hostage? Thankfully the man was still in prison, but who knew how long that would last. Not long she was willing to bet.

"Perfectly safe," the thief's voice cracked as Hitomi pulled out a knife from who knows where. He took another few steps back.

"Lupin," the woman said sweetly.

"Err yes."

"Run."

Arsene Lupin the Third was no fool. He ran, sharp pointy objects following him the whole way. As he dodged, the thief reflected that it had been awhile since he had had a real vacation. Antarctica might be far enough away, and if not. Well, there was always the moon.

Jigen glanced as his other partner, raising one brow. "Shouldn't we stop her?" the gunman asked. "She is your wife."

Goemon just snorted before returning to his meditation. No way. He was already sleeping on the couch as it was. Lupin could fend for himself.

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_I made it. Cheers, for a moment I didn't think I would_

_And it would have sucked to miss two Sundays in a row_

_Hope you liked it and please review_


	23. Chapter 23

_I own nothing and no one_

**Chapter Twenty-three**

Kai watched the dynamics of the Iceberg play around him through lowered lashes. Not that anyone could actually see his face through the catlike mask he was wearing. Thoughtfully, the teen swirled his drink before taking another sip.

It was non-alcoholic of course. For one, he was still underage in the States, and for the other. Well, while it was true fortune was said to favor fools and drunkards Kaito had no intention of pushing his luck. Someone in his line of work (even if they were still in training) had no business getting drunk. It was too dangerous, for many reasons.

Plus, the magician came up with some weird ideas when he was sober. Who knew what he might think was a good idea once some alcohol got into his system. It was better not to risk it.

To be honest, being in this place made Kai's skin crawl. The magician was no fool. His Father, and those the man had considered his friends, were a unique group among the criminal element. There were certain lines they were not willing to cross.

In spite of that though, they were thieves, not saints. They stole, some for no other reason than they liked it. The money probably was a motivating factor as well, the teen admitted ruefully. No use lying to himself. He would need money someday to, and would undoubtedly get it the exact same way.

Mostly from the rich, but that was more because the rich had more stuff worth stealing than due to any other moral code on the thieves' behalves. Some of them were even killers. Kai was well aware Lupin had ended more than one person's life. However, there was a difference between being a killer and being a murderer. A subtle difference true, but it was there.

His Father's friends were not murderers. The same could not be said for some of the people in this room. Kaito didn't even want to imagine how much blood the group had spilled. More than just a few puddles here and there he was sure. Still, the teen was careful not to let any of his thoughts show, hiding them behind a perfect poker face. These people would be quick to pounce on any weakness.

And speaking of perceived weaknesses, it seemed one of the Rouges had decided to take a nibble. Doctor Pamela Isley, the magician effortless pulled up the needed information from the corners of his brain, also known as Poison Ivy. A beauty with a kiss to die for, literally. Now Kai was all for protecting the environment, but this woman went totally overboard with the notion. Did she not realize people were part of the world too?

As the redhead glided towards their table, every male head in the room turned to follow her. Some were even drooling. The magician knew why too, pheromones. He took a moment to be thankful that Selina had dosed him and Huyu with every possible antidote they could possibly require before they even left the safe house. At the time he had thought she was being a little paranoid. Now, not so much.

"Well well," Ivy drawled her voice as beautiful as the rest of her. "Look what the cat dragged in, and she brought kittens too."

The purple clad woman snorted, rising to her feet and conveniently placing herself between the villain and her charges. "Now Pam," Selina leaned forward placing one clawed hand lightly on the other's chest. "Is that the best you can do?" The sharp claws extended, nearly ripping the form fitting material of Poison Ivy's outfit.

Kai simply watched, absorbing this new facet of the woman he and his brother were currently staying with. This version of Catwoman wasn't all fun and games. She was dangerous. Evidently, the other rouge felt the same as Ivy leaned away, taking an unconscious step backwards.

The redhead sniffed. "No need to be defensive kitty cat," she regained her poise. "I was only curious." One pale hand absently flipped a bit of stray hair behind one shoulder, causing several members of the audience to sigh longingly. "Surely that is something you can understand."

And just like that, the moment was over, the room regaining a relaxed mood. Almost instinctively Kai realized that they were in. No one would be bothering him and his foster brother now. At least, not so long as their temporary guardian was around. The small confrontation between Selina and Poison Ivy would prevent a larger one later. One that would have been far more dangerous. The lesson was one worth remembering.

The magician was so deep in thought that he almost missed it when the woman gestured for him and Huyu to join her. The teens rose gracefully to their feet, moving to stand beside her. Anyone with eyes could see the pair had been extensively trained in some form of martial art.

Selina glanced at the older boy, looking coyly through her lashes. "Sphynx," she asked. "Could you be so kind as to get the door?"

Let no one say Huyu Kage-Goemon is slow on the uptake. The raven-haired teen bowed immediately. "It would be my pleasure Catwoman-san," his lightly accented English was clearly audible to the entire room. His katana practically sang as it flew from its sheath, making two perfect cross shaped cuts.

Leisurely, the samurai sheathed his blade, the door falling into pieces. This left a more than adequate exit. The trio walked through the newly made hole side by side. Kaito idly kicking a spare bit of wood out of his way as he went.

There came a squawk of protest. "Hey," the Penguin objected. "You can't just . . ."

Selina glanced back over one shoulder, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Can't what?" she questioned.

The owner of the Iceberg Lounge groaned. "Nothing," he said defeated. That door had been expensive. He had imported it all the way from Rome.

Catwoman smirked. "That's what I thought." Within seconds, the thief and her charges had disappeared into the night, leaving nothing but one busted door, three empty glasses, and a story behind them.

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_I know it is a little short_

_But if I figure that is better than nothing_

_I'll try to get the next one up soonish_

_And thank you to everyone who reviewed_


	24. Chapter 24

_I own nothing and no one_

_Just want to take a moment to thank everyone who has reviewed_

_It means a lot to me_

**_Chapter Twenty-four_**

The trio had barely made it four blocks when they ran into another member of Gotham's nightlife. However, this one was on a different side. Not that it made him any less capable, or dangerous.

Kai watched as the Batman emerged from the shadows. His tread strong and silent, cape flaring around him. He freely admitted the other was very intimidating. It took a minor effort just to stand his ground. This, the magician suddenly realized, was the purpose of the entire getup.

Upon first hearing of the other, the teen had been confused. From all accounts, Gotham's protector was powerful, skilled, and extremely intelligent. The Dark Knight was considered to be one of the Earth's premier heroes, in spite of his lack of any kind of superhuman ability. So why the heck did the man dress as a giant bat? It was ridiculous.

However, now Kai understood. It was an exercise in psychological warfare. When a criminal caught their first glance of the Batman, they were afraid. They hesitated, and that gave the vigilante the advantage. An advantage he needed. After all, for all the man's talents, he was human. One slip, one bullet, and it would be all over.

Magicians did something similar, though for a different reason. One of the first things Kai's father had taught him, along with the poker face, was to never acknowledge a mistake in front of an audience. It just was not done. No one was perfect, everyone made mistakes. It didn't matter though, as long as they didn't know you made a mistake.

The vigilante halted, a mere foot in front of the group of thieves. He did not look happy. "The Iceberg Selina," the Dark Knight growled. He couldn't believe she had taken the children there. They both knew how dangerous that crowd could be.

Catwoman just laughed. "Now now darling," she purred, looking up at him through thick eyelashes. "They were perfectly safe."

Batman seemed unmoved. "That doesn't change the fact you were careless."

In an instant Selina's entire demeanor changed, going from amused to angry. Careless?! "You're one to talk," she hissed, getting right in Batman's face. "Catspaw and Sphynx were far safer at the Iceberg with me than your own charge is while patrolling the streets." She turned her back on the man. "You never struck me as a hypocrite Batman."

For a moment, the Dark Knight was silent. The truth of the matter was that Selina was right, she had just scared him. That was all. The sight of the Iceberg's door falling from its hinges had been a nasty shock. He had been on the verge of busting in through one of the windows.

Batman opened his mouth, trying to find the proper words for an apology. It was not something that came easily to him.

"Ah," another voice came from the shadows. "Just kiss and make up already." The brightly clad teenager dropped from his perch on one of the gargoyles, landing lightly on his feet. "So these are them huh," he said, looking at Kai and Huyu.

Kai had to suppress a smile at the slightly older boy's colorful costume. It didn't exactly strike the magician as the sort of thing Batman's partner would wear to fight crime. Where did he think he was, the circus? Unfortunately, he didn't do it quite quick enough.

Behind his mask, Robin's eyes narrowed. "And what are you staring at," he demanded of the other.

"Nothing," the magician shrugged. "Just admiring your outfit." The words were said in a carefully neutral tone. With any other boys, the matter might had ended right there. But Robin was trained in reading between the lines, he could see through Kai's mask. A little anyway.

"Someone dressed as a kitten," the young vigilante shot back, reaching over to flip one of Catspaw's fabric ears. "Is not in a position to criticize anyone else."

Kai snorted, his hands going into his pockets. It wasn't like he had picked out the outfit, and besides. "At least I'm not wearing tights bird boy," he taunted, weight shifting to rest on the balls of his feet. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but something about the other got under his skin like no one else. Robin felt the same way.

After the fact, no one was ever completely sure who started it, but the two teens went flying towards each other. It was somewhat funny really. For two people so highly trained in the martial arts, it degenerated into the equivalent of a schoolyard brawl fairly quickly.

The pair went rolling across the roof, doing their level best to beat the snot out of each other. By the time Batman and Huyu managed to separate them, Robin's cape was well and truly torn while Kai was developing the beginning of a lovely black eye.

"Let me at him!" Dick shouted from where his mentor was holding him back. "I can take him."

Kai knew better. If he went against Huyu now, his foster brother would have him laid out before he could say sorry. Instead the young thief huffed, crossing his arms as the swordsman released him. "It is too nice of a night to be fighting anyway," he sulked.

As the magician looked out over the city, he had to acknowledge the truth of his own words; it really was a lovely night. The stars were clearly visible, a rarity in a highly industrialized city like Gotham. A small weight landed on his shoulder, and Kai turned to meet eyes the same color as his own.

"Paru?" Psyche made a questioning sound as she rubbed her chin against his own. Excitement, as well as a strange sort of longing was transmitted over the bond between familiar and master.

A wild grin spread across Kai's face, and he reached up to scratch the cat-like creature. They were in perfect agreement. "Too fine of a night to waste," he whispered thoughtfully. "You ready Psyche?" he questioned.

The familiar sniffed, of course she was. She had been born ready. Another wasn't so enthused with the direction Kai's thoughts were going.

"Catspaw," Huyu stepped forward. "Don't . . ."

However, it was too late. Kai went running towards the edge of the roof, launching himself into open air. For a moment, he dropped towards the ground, suspended in freefall. Then Psyche shifted, a hang glider the color of her fur emerging from the magician's back to hoist him back into the air. He laughed as the air currents carried him up and away.

A groan emerged from Huyu's throat, one hand still upraised. Why did Kai do these things to him? At this rate, he would have gray hair by the time he was twenty. He turned to the others, bowing politely, but quickly. "Excuse me Batman-san," he apologized. Then he was off, running across the rooftops after his foster brother.

Robin stared. "Now that," he admitted. "Was cool."

Batman cuffed him lightly on the back of the head. "Don't even think about it," he warned. Dick was careless enough with his lines. He didn't want to imagine what the other would do with a hang glider. "And by the way," he added. "Your hair is orange.

"What?!" Robin shrieked one hand shooting to his normally raven black locks. He glared after Kai's retreating form. This meant war.

_PTPTPTPTPTPT_

_I figure Kai needed someone about his age to relate to outside the Kage clan_

_I know, rocky start for the two of them, but they are rivals_

_Not friends, for now at least_

_Hope you liked it and please review_

_Pretty please_

_With sugar on top_


	25. Chapter 25

_**I own nothing and no one**_

_**If I did my college loans would be paid off**_

**Chapter Twenty-five**

The days since Kai and Robin's first encounter had not gone well for the young vigilante. His various plans to get back at the slightly younger teen for the insult to his hair had been less than fully successful. The gypsy had quickly learned Catspaw wasn't just a thief, he was also a magician.

Robin's various tricks had a nasty habit of getting turned back on him, and that cat thing the thief carried around didn't help. Dick was sure it was some sort of demon. It was way too intelligent to be a normal creature. Not to mention he was fairly certain it had some type of supernatural powers. The thing could vanish faster than its master.

Which is not to say he hadn't gotten Catspaw a few times, he had. Robin would always treasure the sight of the other crawling out of the Gotham Harbor looking like, well like a half-drowned kitten, even if he had paid for it later.

Thus far, the thief had managed to turn his hair orange, green, purple, white, and fuchsia. Why fuchsia instead of just plain pink Robin had no idea. Any attempts to get the color out merely led to the creation of an even more outlandish look. He still didn't understand how the addition of a dye removing agent had managed to turn his hair rainbow. It had been red in the front, progressing all the way through the spectrum to violet at the back.

Dick had actually missed a day of school when he had been forced to call in sick. Fortunately, it was now Christmas Break or he would have missed more. Batman hadn't been willing to risk that one of the other Rouges would make the connection. That was another thing that irritated the teen about the situation. If one more villain mentioned the state of his hair, he was going to snap.

However, now was not the time to dwell on thoughts of his eventual revenge. Dick had work to do. Carefully, the vigilante placed a sample of an unusual substance into a collection bottle. He labeled it before slipping the evidence into one of the pockets on his belt.

"Whatca doing?" a now familiar voice spoke.

Robin didn't even look up as he continued to examine the scene. "Not now Catspaw." As long as the thief didn't contaminate their crime scene, he didn't care what the other was up to.

"No really," the voice took on a more serious tone. "I want to know."

Dick looked up to see the thief seated on the fire escape above the ally. He was supporting his weight entirely on his arms, the top of his legs a good three inches above the bar. It was a move that looked a lot easier than it actually was, and the former trapeze artist should know. He did it occasionally too.

The vigilante tilted his head to one side, regarding Catspaw thoughtfully. "Why do you want to know?" he questioned.

Kai shrugged, flipping back to stand on relatively solid ground with a move that would make some professional gymnasts jealous. "It would be nice if my parent's murderers dropped straight into my hands," he commented. "But I'm not counting on it." He looked back Robin. "And for all her skills this is one thing Catwoman cannot teach me." Neither could most of his Father's other friends.

"But I can," a deep voice spoke up from right behind the thief.

Robin smothered a smile, as the thief yelped, spinning to face the Batman. It was nice to know some things still threw the other.

"Really," Kai questioned while managing to regain his demeanor. He had thought he would have to pick up the information through osmosis.

"Really," the Dark Knight confirmed. "But I expect you to pay attention." He would only give the thief one chance.

Catspaw was already nodding solemnly. "I understand."

Something occurred to Robin then, and he quickly busied himself. "Does this mean we will be sparring?" he asked face low to the ground.

"Yes," Batman answered. "But only if I can trust the two of you to act like adults."

Dick merely nodded. He might not be able to get the other with tricks, but he also knew who the better fighter was. Robin resisted the urge to cackle. Oh yeah, it was payback time.

_Omake_

_(To make up for absurdly short chapter)_

"Sir," the attractive young woman waved Robin down from the roof. "Sir, could you please help me."

A faint frown spread across the vigilante's face as he approached. "What is it Miss?" he asked.

"It's my cat," the lady pointed to the nearby oak tree. "She's stuck."

Robin resisted the urge to groan, telling himself that it was not proper behavior for someone in his position. Rescuing cats from trees wasn't especially heroic behavior, but he didn't have anything more important to be doing. Dick looked up at the kitten's gray furry form. "Be right back," he told the anxious owner, reaching for the first branch.

"Here kitty-kitty," the vigilante tried to entice the creature towards him. "Nice kitty-kitty." She didn't seem very impressed, scooting even further away from the trunk. Carefully, Dick edged a bit closer, before lunging at the half grown creature. "Gottcha!"

The cat did not seem happy as Robin pulled her to chest, trying to ignore the prick of claws through his costume. Descending the tree, he offered the cat to her owner. Odd, the creature looked a bit familiar.

That train of thought was derailed as the young woman threw her arms around him. Robin could feel the curves of her breasts, so tightly did she hold him. "Oh thank-you," the blond gushed. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come along."

Dick could feel his cheeks turning red. Somewhat desperately, he tried to pry the girl off him. "It's fine, no thanks are necessary."

"But," she looked up at him with a pair of brilliant emerald eyes. "There must be something," the lady purred.

Err, now Robin really looked uncomfortable. No part of his extensive training had prepared him for this. "N-no," he stuttered. "There's nothing."

The beauty gave him one last squeeze before releasing him. "Oh all right," she pouted. "But you do know," a sharp, familiar smirk spread across the blond's face. "That you take all the fun out of everything."

As the lady blew Robin a kiss, a cloud of pink smoke rose around her. When it cleared both woman and cat were gone.

Dick turned even redder, but this time not from embarrassment. "Catspaw!" he screamed in rage.

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_Hope you liked_

_And as always_

_Please review_


	26. Chapter 26

_**I own nothing and no one**_

_**Got out of work early and figured it was a sign**_

**Chapter Twenty-six**

Robin wheezed, retreating a few steps as one hand came up to cover his ribs. This was what he got for being cocky he supposed. Dick hadn't been looking for trouble when he had headed out that evening. However, he hadn't been able just to walk away from a woman in danger either.

Unfortunately, it seemed more had been going on than a run of the mill mugging. Certainly this man wasn't your average thug, even one from the mean streets of Gotham. He was far too highly trained for that. Perhaps even a professional assassin. The only good thing, so far as Robin was concerned, was that his original victim had gotten away.

Dick made a mental note to track down the young lady and get some answers later. Assuming of course that he survived this encounter. Right now, things weren't looking very good. In fact, this would be an excellent time for Batman to show up. Too bad his guardian was at a company function.

The man had a far different view of the matter than his young opponent. A cold smirk crossed his face. "Well well," he taunted. "It seems my trip to this god forsaken city wasn't such a waste after all." He wiped a bit of blood of his split lip (Robin had got him right in the mouth with a high flying kick).

In his opinion, tracking down a runaway girlfriend was a colossal waste of his talents. The broad didn't even know anything. But, the money was good, and the boss had said so. So, the assassin, for that was what he was, had come. This though, this was much more interesting.

The pair exchanged another flurry of blows before separating again, circling warily. Both fighters were unaware of another pair of eyes watching the action. The assassin's smirk broadened. "Not bad kid," he praised. "A few more years and you could have taken me."

Behind his mask, a pair of bright blue eyes narrowed, but Robin said nothing. He didn't have the breath for that. Instead he charged, only to find himself flying towards an extremely solid looking brick wall. He hit it with a loud thud before dropping to the floor. Groaning, Dick tried to regain his feet.

At this point, the unseen watcher made his decision. He knew he couldn't take Robin's attacker in a fair fight. That would just result in both of them getting killed, and he couldn't simply walk away either. Doing that would be as bad as pulling the trigger himself. Fortunately, there was a third option.

A smirk crossed Kai's face and he glanced down at the small canister in his hand. What kind of fool fought fair anyways? There were far easier ways to deal with opponents than fighting them hand to hand.

Silently, the magician thief sent orders to his familiar, who immediately shot across the ally, distracting the assassin from his prey. At almost the same time, he threw the container of sleeping gas at the man's feet.

"What the hell?!" the guy choked as the pink gas erupted. He tried to hold his breath, though in all honesty it was a wasted effort. He needn't have bothered as the fast acting drug was already in his system. The man dropped like a stone, bashing his head against the cement.

After a moment more, to ensure the assassin really was down and not just faking it. Kai emerged from the shadows, making his way to the downed vigilante. "Hey," he asked with concern. "You okay?" He crouched down to get a better look at Robin's injuries.

Somewhat painfully, the other teen turned his head, blurry eyes focusing on his rescuer. "Catspaw?" he coughed.

"Yeah," the thief extended a hand towards the vigilante. "Anything broken?"

Carefully, Dick accepted the hand, pulling himself to his feet. "I don't think so," he said. Bruised definitely, maybe even sprained, but not broken.

Kai let out a sigh of relief, slipping one arm around the other. "Good, now let's get you out of here." Selina would know what to do about this.

Relations between the two teenagers improved a great deal after that. Unsurprising, considering Kai had most certainly saved Robin's life. This did not slow the prank war by any means, but the tone of the competition was different now. It had become a friendly rivalry, each trying to get the better of the other.

Something which quite frankly, caused the others to give sighs of relief. Things had been getting a little tense. Catwoman had been starting to think one of the boys would snap, and that wouldn't have been good at all. So yes, they were grateful that the atmosphere had calmed.

The last week passed quickly, and soon enough it was time for Kai and Huyu to go home. Robin clasped the magician's hand in a warrior's handshake, leaning in for a brief hug before quickly letting go. "Stay safe," he told the other. "And keep in touch."

Kai saluted the vigilante. "Of course," he promised. "You too." They had exchanged email addresses, deeming it the easiest way to talk without endangering their true identities. So long as they accessed the account from a public place, such as an internet café, it was a simple matter to keep their anonymity. The magician sometimes wrote Saguru the same way.

Then the magician turned to Batman. The Dark Knight almost smiled before his face morphed into a scowl. He took a step forward, getting right in the younger man's face. "Just stay out of my city," he warned. You could almost hear the unspoken or else on the end of that sentence.

Kai merely smiled, not looking intimidated in the least. Batman would get the exact same warning everyone else did, a heist note. And maybe, he admitted to himself, just maybe a phone call, professional courtesy and all that. He had been brought up to respect his teachers.

That didn't change the facts though. Batman was a crime fighter, while Kai was a phantom thief. At least, he would be one day. Truly, the vigilante should have known better than to try and warn him off. There was a reason his familiar was of a feline nature, like Psyche, no one told the magician what to do.

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_Another chapter done_

_And it is only a day late, as oppose to a week_

_Cheers!_

_Anyway, this is the end of the Batman portion_

_Which is a little sad_

_Next we will have Viper from Jackie Chan adventures though_

_Which is cool, and you'll get to see just what other tricks Psyche has up her metaphysical sleeves. I can't wait._


	27. Chapter 27

_I own nothing and no one_

_Not even the new series being introduced in this chapter_

_Highlander: He is Duncan MacLeod, the Highlander. Born in 1592 in the Highlands of Scotland, and he is still alive. He is immortal. For four hundred years, he's been a warrior... a lover... a wanderer, constantly facing other Immortals in combat to the death. The winner takes his enemy's head, and with it, his power. I am a Watcher, part of a secret society of men and women who observe and record, but never interfere. We know the truth about Immortals. In the end, there can be only one. May it be Duncan MacLeod, the Highlander._

_Except Duncan won't be in this story, upright citizen that he is. Instead, we will have two other immortals. First off, the beautiful Amanda, who insists she has gone straight but has a tendency to slide back into her thieving ways. Also, a bank robber named Cory Raines who robs from the rich to give to the poor. They can both be seen in the Highlander episode "Money No Object" if you want to check it out on or one of the other television sites._

**Chapter Twenty-seven**

After several months back home, during which Goemon was pleased to note the progress of both his children in the fighting arts, not to mention other less than perfectly legal skills, such as hacking.

Ironically, it had been Batman who had given those lessons, not Selina. Catwoman's lessons had been more centered on the more physical aspects of theft. Things like navigating rooftops and picking locks.

The boys were off again, this time to Paris to meet one of Lupin's ex-girlfriends, the infamous Amanda. Kai liked her, even if he found it incredibly disturbing that she had once been involved with his Father as well. Long before Toichi had married his Mother of course. The woman had a mischievous streak a mile wide, a trait the magician could most definitely empathize with. He had especially enjoyed their trip to the Louvre.

A bright smile had lit up Amanda's features as she and her charges had wandered through those hallowed halls. The entire time, a soft but steady stream of words had been issued out the side of her mouth. It was mildly amusing to realize just how many pieces were forgeries, and what had happened to the originals.

Evidently the real copy of an oil canvas of Lake Nemi at sunset was hanging on the wall of one the semi-retired thief's summer homes. All in all, Kai thought their new sensei's tour through the museum was far superior to the official one. Even if paintings weren't his thing, he far preferred gemstones.

Speaking of which, the Galerie d'Apollon had an amazing collection gemstone objects. Kai had every intention of going back there one day, after hours, to borrow a few of them. For now though, the Louvre was a bit above his skill level. Maybe in a few more years.

The magician sighed, turning his attention back to Amanda, just in time to see her stiffen. That, he decided, was not a good sign. Oh, he knew the woman had secrets, more than just being a thief. For one, she looked far younger than she should. But truthfully, that wasn't any of his business. She was hardly the first kaitou to possess some sort of unique talent.

Kai shifted slightly in his seat as his teacher rose to her feet. Amanda's face had gone flat and intent, the look of a hunter. "Stay here," she whispered, stalking towards the door. It looked like she were reaching for some sort of weapon.

There came a knock. "Amanda," an unknown voice called. "Doll face."

The woman relaxed, a smile crossing her face. "Cory!" she threw open the door, leaping into the man's arms. "It's been forever."

The bank robber laughed, kissing her on the cheek. "Not quite that long." In point of fact, it had barely been five years. Sharp emerald eyes passed over Huyu and Kai. "And who are the kids?" he asked.

"Oh," Amanda flushed faintly. She had almost forgotten they had an audience. The woman slid off him, turning to face the two teenagers, a round of introductions ensuing.

It turned out Cory also knew Lupin, the other once emptying a certain bank vault only hours before his arrival. Fortunately, the immortal wasn't the type to hold grudges, at least not over something as trivial as money. The other group of thieves had beaten him fair and square. Plus, he had gotten them back a few years down the line.

"So," Amanda asked a few minutes later, after the wine had been broken out. "Why are you here Cory?"

The bank robber grinned charmingly. "Couldn't I have just come to see you doll face?"

Amanda snorted. "Who do you think you're talking to? Duncan?" As fond as she was of the highlander, she had to admit he could be very naïve sometimes. She on the other hand had never been naïve. Cory almost always had ulterior motives.

"All right," the man admitted. "There's this job, and I need a partner."

"No!" Amanda rose to her feet. "Oh no, I've gone straight do you hear me." She began to pace around the room. "Straight."

"Uh huh," Cory sounded unconvinced; his gaze fixed on the security plans lying on the table. Plans the small group had been studying just moments before he came in.

"They are for educational purposes only," the older immortal insisted following her friend's gaze. She was out of the business, this time for good. Amanda inwardly sighed. No matter how fun it was.

"This can be an educational experience as well," Cory pointed out, quite logically in his opinion. After all, the more the merrier.

Amanda froze. "Forget it," she hissed. "We are not taking them to one of your heists." The thief didn't even notice that she had practically admitted she was. Meanwhile, Kai and Huyu just watched the interplay between the two adults silently. This could be interesting.

"Come on doll face," Cory moved to massage the woman's back, calming her down. "It will be good for them." He knew from experience that nothing ever went completely to plan. That was where improvision became important.

"No," Amanda said firmly. "They are not coming and that's final. It's too dangerous." Lupin would kill her if one of them got hurt. More to the point, Goemon would kill her. And considering the swordsman's skill, that might well end up to be permanent.

"No one will get hurt."

"You can't promise that Cory," Amanda looked straight into the other's eyes.

Cory merely grinned. "Amanda," he drew out her name in an endearing fashion.

"Cory."

"Amanda."

"Cory."

"Amanda."

Kai ended up driving the getaway vehicle, Huyu watching the door.

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_Okay, brief survey_

_Do you want to see them rob the bank?_

_Or should we move on to the next segment?_

_This inquiring mind wants to know_


	28. Chapter 28

_I own nothing and no one_

_After reading the reviews, and because I was inspired_

_Here is the bank robbery, in all its glory_

**Chapter Twenty-eight**

Leather creaked as Kai tightened his glove clad hands on the steering wheel. He had to admit he was somewhat nervous, just a little though. He glanced at his watch before reaching up to pull his hat just a bit lower over his features, any minute now.

A pair of sapphire eyes glanced over to where his brother was standing relatively inconspicuously against the side of the bank. At least, inconspicuously enough that no one expected the teen was up to any wrongdoing. Granted, the figure didn't look all that much like Huyu.

Fake bleached streaks had been placed in the samurai's hair. White powder had lightened his tanned features while both eyes and mouth were covered in black makeup. He was even wearing mascara. All in all, it made the seventeen-year old look like the walking dead. The leather didn't exactly help the image later.

Huyu's eyes flicked to the car sitting in the shadows. He just knew his foster brother was laughing at him right now. When Kai had suggested they disguise him, this hadn't been what he had in mind. Hate you, he mouthed to the other silently.

The magician snickered, barely flinching when his familiar climbed over the seat to sit on his shoulder. "Psyche," he objected. "Claws." He snagged her slender form, placing her on the floor of the vehicle. "Besides," he scolded. "You don't want to be seen." This was her first job too.

A signal from Huyu caused the younger teen to straighten, and he took a deep breath. "Here we go," he whispered to himself. The highly tuned engine of a car, which was in far better shape than its outside appearance indicated, purred beneath his fingers.

Alarms blared as Amanda and Cory came bursting out of the bank, Huyu joining them as they ran down the steps. A few bullets were shot harmlessly into the air, assuring no one got in their way. Kai hit the gas, slowing down briefly for the trio to pile into the getaway car, and then they were off.

The group was a few blocks away when Amanda removed her mask, letting loose an exhilarated laugh. She leaned sideways to kiss Cory's cheek. "That was brilliant."

The other immortal grinned. "See doll face," he said. "I told you we had nothing to worry ab. . ." Cory paused. "Uh oh."

"Uh oh," Amanda looked worried. "There is not supposed to be an uh oh Cory!" She looked in the rear view mirror to see the approaching cop car. She turned to glare at her friend. "If we get caught," she warned him. "I'll _never_ forgive you." The way she stressed the word never implied she truly meant never. Not to mention Lupin would never forgive her.

It wasn't like they could take their usual escape route either. Cory and Amanda were bulletproof true. However, their young companions were not. Plus, Duncan wasn't around to dig them back up after the funeral this time.

"Maybe we can claim they're our hostages," Cory suggested.

The magician snorted. Somehow, he didn't think the cops were that dumb. "You worry too much," he told the adults. A smirk spread across Kai's features and he slammed on the gas. "They haven't caught us yet."

The car raced ahead, speedometer steadily climbing. Sixty. Seventy. Eighty. Kaito could hear the police sirens ringing in his ears. Adrenaline rushed through his veins, sharpening his reflexes. This was great.

"Um, Kai dear," Amanda put in, watching the gauge. Chase or not, "don't you think you're going a little too fast?"

Briefly, the magician considered the question. "No," he answered at last. Yanking the wheel to the right, Kai cut across traffic ignoring the screech of tires and honking of horns. Sending the other occupants of the car tumbling to one side. The police officer hit his own breaks, quickly being left behind.

"Well," Huyu commented, glancing back. "That was easy." He was forced to eat his words as three more cop cars turned the corner in front of them, barricading the way.

"Heh," Kai's grin grew sharper. "So be it." The car veered off the road, cutting through the park. White feathers flew everywhere, the flock of ducks taking flight in an attempt to avoid the strange creature that had invaded their domain.

Amanda swore (softly but creatively) when one particularly rough bump banged her head against the side of the vehicle. That had hurt. She reached down to grab her seatbelt, pulling it across her waist. Just because she healed quickly was no reason to take chances. The other passengers quickly followed suit.

Just in time too, the cops were back on their tail, all four of them. Kai juked left, purposely clipping a fire hydrant on his way back onto the road, that should slow them down a bit. It did more than that as one of the black and whites slid out of control, crashing into the nearby fountain.

Intrigued by the noise, Psyche placed her front paws on the dash, little pink nose twitching as she stared out the window. How exciting, she thought to herself. She and he master should do this more often. The kitten let out a mew of protest as strong hands plucked her into the air.

"I'm sorry Psyche," Huyu apologized, his other hand wrapped tightly around the 'oh shit' handle. "But this is for your own good." He looked around, only to realize the car didn't come equipped with cat sized seatbelts. That presented a problem. Finally the swordsman just stuffed the familiar into his jacket, zipping the coat all the way up to his chin.

Five turns, two trips through the subway, and one attempt at flying later, Kai looked in the mirror to see that one of the cops was still there. Persistent little bugger. Hmm, the teen made a thoughtful noise. This called for drastic action.

"Here," the magician handed his foster brother what looked to be some sort of gas grenade. "Turn the knob half away around and pull the pin," he ordered. It was his latest invention.

A moment later, the canister went flying out the window, thick pink gas hissing out to obscure the street. The thieves could hear the cop hit his breaks, immediately coming to a stop. But then, that was the point. The smoke abruptly changed color, and though those in the getaway car couldn't see it, the officer slumped over his steering wheel fast asleep.

That however, wasn't the full extent of Kai's plan. He turned the car, headed towards a nearby ally.

"Kai," Amanda sounded worried. That street was far too narrow to drive this car down. Still, the teenager showed no signs of slowing. "Kai!" she shrieked. At the last possible second, the magician hit his front tire against the curb, balancing the car on its two side tires and instant before they disappeared into the ally.

The woman let out a deep breath. "Oh. My. God," she whimpered. That had been far too close. She could feel herself shaking.

"Suck it up," Cory told her, though in truth the bank robber looked a bit pale himself. "You're immortal."

"Really?" Kai turned to look at the pair, an interested expression on his face. "Is that why you heal so fast?" He had noticed that the spot where Amanda bumped her head was completely gone save for a bit of dried blood.

Any composure the other passengers had managed to regain was quickly wiped away. "Eyes on the road!!!" they chorused in unison white hands clutching their seatbelts.

"Worrywarts," Kaito muttered, exiting the ally, the car dropping back to four wheels.

Cory let out a faint sigh of relief. Only a faint one though, it wouldn't due to let them know he had been worried. "Where did you learn to drive anyway?" he complained.

Kai just grinned, his bright blue eyes shining with mischief. "Lupin, " he answered cheerfully.

The others just groaned. Of course, who else could it have been but Lupin?

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_And to think, I was worried about this not being long enough_

_It turned out fine_

_Hope you enjoyed it and please review_


	29. Chapter 29

_I own nothing and no one_

_Jackie Chan Adventures: The series features the fictional adventures of Jackie Chan, who is an archeologist, martial arts expert and reluctant secret agent in the series. With help from his niece Jade, his grumpy old uncle (simply known as "Uncle") and his old friend Captain Black, he saves the world from evil forces that attempt to use magical artifacts to rule the world. Later seasons included other supporting characters that comprised the world-saving "J-Team". One of whom is a retired thief known as Viper._

_Bad guy in this segment is a Dark Chi Wizard called Daolon Wong who was the main adversary from Season Three. He has basically enslaved the enforcer's of the previous villain, giving them magic powers and turning them into his Dark Chi Warriors. Episodes can be found on youtube if you are interested. _

**Chapter Twenty-nine**

"I still think your cousin totally overreacted," Kai sulked as they followed their latest teacher towards her friend. "I was only trying to help." Thanksgiving was an American holiday true, but one the Kage Clan had adopted wholeheartedly. After all, they had much to be thankful for.

Huyu simply rolled his eyes. "Then you should have volunteered to set the table or something," the older teen advised. "You know how you are in the kitchen."

"Oh come on," Kai objected. "I am not that bad."

An amused snort escaped the swordsman's lips and he stopped to face his foster brother. "Kai," he said patiently. "You managed to burn water." Huyu had heard the expression many times growing up, but he hadn't actually thought it was possible. Not until a few weeks ago at any rate.

Kai sulked some more. "That just means I have talent," he muttered. Honestly, the teen could understand why she threw him out of the kitchen (and yes, I did mean throw). But pitching that frying pan at his head had been totally unnecessary. He had gotten the message sometime between the can of green beans and the pepper shakers.

The pair's conversation trailed off as they got within hearing range of the waiting man, who smiled. "Viper," Jackie greeted. "I'm glad you made . . ." His voice trailed off. "Uh," he questioned, looking at the two masked figures standing behind his friend. "Who are they?"

"This," the woman said pointing at the slightly taller of the two teens. "Is Raven. His brother is Dove." They had worked out the code names on the ride over. She smiled a bit sheepishly, giving Jackie a look that would have dropped most men were they stood. "I promised their Father I'd watch them for a few weeks."

Unfortunately for a large portion of the criminal population, Jackie Chan was not most men. _Their Father? _He thought to himself, examining the pair again. His lips hardened, coming to the realization there was no way Viper's companions were possibly fully grown. They were too short, and more importantly, too slender.

"Absolutely not," Jackie snapped. They were not coming with them, no way no how. "It is too dangerous." Situations like this were no place for a child.

"Chh," a voice came from behind the martial artist. "Like that's ever stopped me."

"Aah!" Jackie jumped into the air, spinning around. He looked down to see his twelve-year old niece, standing their as bold as you please with her arms crossed in front of her. "Jade!" he gasped. "What are you doing here?" She was supposed to be back at Uncle's shop with Captain Black.

"I snuck onto the plane," the girl answered. "Like duh." Did Jackie really think she was going to let him leave her behind?

The man looked at his niece disapprovingly. "Then you can go right back onto the plane," he ordered. Jackie pointed to the two teenagers. "And take them with you."

Jade looked scandalized. "Really Jackie, leaving me alone with two strange young men. That's not very responsible of you."

Jackie sputtered, looking to Viper for help.

"You have to admit they have a point baby face," the ex-thief said.

Jackie groaned, well when they put it like that it did sound rather bad. "All right," he sighed. "But," he said fixing the trio with a stare. "You must promise to do exactly as I say."

"Of course Jackie," Jade chirped. Kai vaguely considered mentioning that the girl had her fingers crossed behind her back, but ultimately decided against it. It wasn't really his concern.

Evidently though, the man knew his niece well, because he gave her an extremely suspicious look. Jade was never that agreeable. Jackie opened his mouth to speak again when his phone rang. He searched several pockets before locating the device, flipping it open. "Hello?"

"_Hello Jackie," _came the familiar voice of Captain Black. _"I'm sorry to tell you this, but. . ."_

"But you've lost Jade."

Several thousand miles away, the captain blinked, before putting the pieces together. _"She's with you?" _That girl needed a leash.

"Unfortunately," Jackie said, ignoring the girl's yelp of protest. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'll call you back when it's over," he promised his friend.

"_Goodbye then, and good luck."_

Jackie flipped the phone shut, sighing again when he looked out over the group. He would take luck over skill any day. "Come, he ordered. "We must meet Uncle and Tohru." Time was of the essence.

"So tell me again," Viper asked as the group, now seven people strong, climbed up the isolated mountain. "How Daolon Wong got out of Section Thirteen." She paused to catch her breath. "Weren't his powers supposed to be cast into the void for all time or something like that?"

"Is loophole," Uncle put in. "Evil Chi wizard temporarily regain power using Dark Ritual."

Viper blinked. Then why were they here now. It would be much easier to recapture Daolon Wong, and the Dark Hand Enforcers, after they no longer had magic. She opened her mouth to say as much, only to be interrupted.

"One more thing," Uncle said. "Statue of Ho Long will make powers permanent."

"And the statue is on this mountain," Jackie said, only to wince a moment later. "Ow," he yelped one hand going to his head where Uncle had whapped him.

"Statue not just on mountain," the Good Chi Wizard snapped. "Is within mountain, and we must get there first." Uncle's eyes darted in all directions. "Daolon Wong will undoubtedly try to delay us."

"Yes," Jackie agreed. "So look out for Dark Chi Warriors." Especially Hak Fu, he mentally reminded himself. That man was dangerous enough when he wasn't magically empowered.

"Um Chan-san," Huyu asked politely.

"Yes Raven."

"These Dark Chi Warriors you speak of. Do they have orange skin?"

Jackie looked puzzled. "Why do you ask?"

Wordlessly Huyu pointed to the outcropping of rock above them. There stood three crouched figures, their weapons glowing with iridescent energy. Finn smirked. "Heya Chan."

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_Omygod! Cliffie_

_I'll try not to leave you hanging too long_

_Might even have it up before Sunday_

_No promises though. Depends how busy work is_

_It gets crazy in December_


	30. Chapter 30

_Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one_

_Sad thing is, actually had time to write this earlier_

_Then I went and got myself sick_

_**Chapter Thirty**_

In an instant, Jackie was on his feet. Arms hanging loose in a relaxed but ready stance. At the same time though, he had this nagging feeling that he was missing something important. The alarms in the back of his head were ringing.

"_Hidden Dragon Explodes From Ambush!" _The fourth and final Dark Chi Warrior burst from the rock.

Ah, Jackie realized an instant before Hak Fu slammed into him. That was what was wrong. "Bad day," he muttered feverishly to himself as he tumbled down the mountain, one step in front of the other's crushing fists. "Bad day, bad day, bad day."

"Don't worry Jackie," his niece called after him. "I got these three." Her amber brown eyes narrowed as she launched herself into the air. One foot extended in a flying side kick. "Aiya!" she cried.

Only to come to an abrupt halt when Ratso reached out and grabbed her ankle, leaving Jade hanging helpless from his grasp. He grinned. "Well look what I caught."

"Hey dude," Finn poked him. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

Ratso blinked. "Why wouldn't I?" He gave the girl a gentle shake, ignoring her protests.

"Well, think about it. What usually happens when one of us grabs the brat?"

"Chan kicks our butts, that's what," Chow put in, adjusting his sunglasses. "But he's a bit busy right now." The trio looked down the mountain to see Jackie frantically dodging _Raging Tornado Crushes Insect._

A faint frown crossed Finn's face. "I suppose you have a point," he admitted. "All right, I withdraw my . . ."

That was a far as he got before Viper's foot slammed into Ratso. Knocking the Dark Chi Warrior off his perch. She had followed the exact path Jade had, only with significantly more success. The ex-thief snagged Jade out of the air, twisting to land neatly on her feet. "You okay kid?" she asked.

Jade grinned. "Of course," and together they launched themselves at the Dark Chi Warrior.

Chow winced in sympathy as Ratso doubled over, a victim of the pair. "I guess that leaves us with you," he said turning his attention to the masked duo. Tohru and Uncle had gone to help Jackie. "At least they don't look too dangerous," he told his comrade.

"Yeah," Finn said sarcastically. "And Chan looks like Hercules reborn." He certainly hadn't expected the humiliating defeat that had been handed to them the first time they had encountered the archeologist. He had learned since them.

A discrete hand signal while the two enforcers were talking informed his foster brother to leave this to him. Huyu wasn't too happy about that, but he backed off a little. Enough to give Kai room to work, but not so much that he couldn't step in should it become necessary.

The magician looked right, then left before pointing to himself. "You can't possibly be talking about me," he said in disbelief. His right hand came up to rest dramatically over his heart. "I'm a lover, not a fighter. See."

Three balls were pulled out of nowhere, and Kai began to juggle. After a few seconds, he started to spice it up. The pattern became more complicated, the balls changed color. They spun faster and faster, finally bursting into flame. Still the magician juggled.

"Hey," Finn exclaimed. "You know, that's pretty cool."

Kai grinned, all three flaming balls disappearing into the top hat that spontaneously appeared at his feet. "You haven't seen nothing yet," he promised stepping forward. He threw a poker deck into the air, catching the cards on the way down and fanning them out. "Pick a card," the magician offered. "Any card."

Chow deliberated for a moment before grabbing a card from the middle.

The magician assumed a thinking position. "The spirits tell me that your card is," he paused for dramatic effect before snapping his fingers. "The King of Hearts."

Chow flipped the card over. "Wow," he said, showing it to Finn. "He's right."

"Yeah," the other agreed. "But is it supposed to be glowing?" Their smiles faded as they thought about that. The two Dark Chi Warriors had just enough time to swear before the card exploded. When they opened their eyes, they were back at Daolon Wong's lair.

"Aah man," Chow complained. "We got poofed."

Finn however had another thought. "Dude," he nudged his friend. "Isn't the King of Hearts the Suicide King?" Even though they had lost the fight, the enforcer couldn't help but grin. The kid had been good.

Meanwhile, back on the mountain, the two brothers had split after an unspoken conversation. Huyu to help Jackie, Kai to help Viper. Not honestly, that Viper needed the help. She seemed to have Ratso well in hand. Even with the mystical enhancements, the enforcer couldn't match her for speed.

Jackie on the other hand, was very much grateful for the help. Between him and Huyu, it didn't take long for Hak Fu to go poof, much to the other's frustration. Unfortunately for the J-Team though, the battle wasn't quite over yet.

"Incompetents," a voice snarled. "Must I do everything myself."

"Aah!" Uncle cried pointing at the figure. "It is Daolon Wong!"

The Dark Chi Wizard simply smirked, an eerie glow surrounding him. "You did not really believe I had forgotten you fool." He would have his revenge. Holding the staff high over his head, he began to chant.

One by one, stone golems rose from the ground, turning their attention to their master's enemies. "Kill them," Daolon Wong laughed. "Kill them all."

Huyu didn't hesitate. He leaped for the nearest golem, slicing it cleanly in half. For a moment, a satisfied smirk crossed his face, then the creature shuddered. New limbs burst from the wounds, leaving two golems, where before there had been only one.

"Oh shit," Kai breathed. That could not be good. Quickly, be pocketed his more explosive grenades. He didn't want to see how many golems one of those would produce. The magician rolled left, avoiding one of the magical construct's clubs, while leaping over another.

The magician didn't know what to do. Jumping around like a kangaroo on crack wasn't going to work forever he knew. Sure enough, one of the golems managed to clip him, sending the teenager tumbling to the ground.

"Kai!" his brother shouted.

Shaking his head, the magician looked up to see one the clubs coming straight for his head. There was no way he would make it out of the way in time. Instinctively, Kai crossed his arms in front of him in an attempt to shield himself. Even as he did so though, he knew it was a futile effort.

_PTPTPTPTPTPT_

_Ooh, another cliffy_

_I feel evil_

_Guess you'll have to wait for next time to see what happens_


	31. Chapter 31

_Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one_

_Groans, my body is not designed to get up at 5:30 am six days a week_

_Definitely not when I am working ten hours per day_

_Will be so glad when busy season is over_

**Chapter Thirty-one**

A roar of pure rage echoed over the mountainside as Kaito's attacker was pounced from behind. Psyche wasn't just angry, she was furious. How dare this interloper touch what was hers. The two figures tumbled end over end before they finally stopped, one on top.

Four pairs of wickedly sharp claws and a set of glistening teeth dug into the golem, draining the golem's life force. Soon enough, Daolon Wong's creation had crumbled back into the earth from whence it came. The victor stood up, giving her fur a good shake before turning to face her master.

Kaito had not yet moved. His gaze was transfixed by the sight of eyes the same color as his own. "Psyche?" he whispered in disbelief. The magician hadn't spent much time dwelling on what other tricks Dark had given his familiar. When he had though, this hadn't even crossed his mind. His feline companion was not so much small kitten anymore as large panther.

Psych approached him on silent feet, a rumbling purr escaping her throat as she rubbed her head affectionately under the magician's chin. Kaito grinned, any lingering fears dispelled. One hand came up to scratch her ears. "So?" he asked casually. "Any more tricks I should know about?"

His familiar felt immeasurable smug as a pair of charcoal wings emerged from her back. She flapped them a few times experimentally before letting the appendages settle back to her back. Then she stretched.

Kaito, meanwhile huffed with amusement. "Wings," he chuckled, shifting to get his feet back beneath him. "Of course you have wings." Idly the magician considered that Dark Mousey had clearly been watching too many episodes of Cardcaptors. Not that he really minded considering Psyche had just saved his life.

"Paru," his familiar's pointed nudge brought Kaito's full attention back to the ongoing battle, and he surveyed the scene with narrowed sapphire orbs. Viper wasn't doing so well.

The magician glanced down to his companion, silently sending instructions. Psyche had already proved her ability to defeat the golems in battle, which made it easy enough to put together a plan. He would be the distraction, she the blade.

As the pair moved in on their second target, Huyu was having problems of his own. After seeing that his foster brother was safe, more or less. He had once again focused on his own fight, for all the good it did him. Thus far, the swordsman had been reduced to knocking the golems over.

The magical constructs were somewhat slow in regaining their feet, which gave Huyu more room to maneuver. Unfortunately, he wasn't causing any damage. It didn't matter how may times he hit them with the blunt edge of his blade. They always got back up.

Slowly, the swordsman circled, taking care to keep out of his opponent's reach. He was seriously contemplating the feasibility of burying the creature. Spotting a likely outcropping of granite, the swordsman was about to test his strategy when something hit him, literally.

"Ow!" Huyu yelped, his free hand going up to clutch his head. That had hurt. He looked to his left to see Jackie's Uncle standing there. How on earth had the other gotten so close without him noticing?

"Foolish child," the old man berated. "Useless steel will not stop dark magic." He dug into his bag. "Here, take this."

A pair of dark eyes blinked as the swordsman stared down at his new acquisition perplexed. A dried lizard? Just what was he supposed to do with this. He opened his mouth only to have Uncle thwack him again.

"Magic must defeat magic. Now chant."

"Uh, are you sure you don't want my brother for this," Huyu asked a bit uncertainly. "He's the magician."

"You will be fine," the old man told him. Raven had potential, he could sense it. "You must trust Uncle."

"But," Huyu's voice trailed off. He would look ridiculous. Cavorting around carrying dead animal parts was beneath the dignity of a samurai such as himself. It was a matter of honor. He opened his mouth to say as much, only he didn't get the chance.

"**SHUT UP AND CHANT!!!"**

The swordsman's back stiffened as he snapped to attention. "Yes sir," he agreed at once. This guy was scarier than his first ninjutsu instructor. The one that made his students do push ups over spikes (His Father had quickly put a stop to that once he found out).

Immediately Huyu began to hop up and down on one foot, mimicking the older man. The dried lizard was waved in all directions. "Jiu mo guai gui fi de sao. Jiu mo guai gui fi de sao. Jiu mo guai gui fi de sao. Jiu mo guai gui fi de sao." With every repetition of the chant, the glow of the light chi magic grew brighter, destroying the dark wizard's creations.

A faint sigh of relief left the swordsman's throat. He had never been so happy to see something crumple to dust before in his life. Did this mean it was over? Evidently not, Huyu reflected to himself with a wince. "What now?" he groaned at Uncle, holding his throbbing head.

"Must still capture Daolon Wong." Uncle took a few steps up the mountain. "Now come."

There came the sound of a clearing throat. "Err, sensei." Tohru looked a bit sheepish as he hoisted the dark chi wizard's unconscious form. He may have hit the other a bit too hard.

"Ah!" Uncle exclaimed. "Faithful apprentice has captured evil sorcerer. Now all that remains is to recover Statue of Ho Long. Jackie can." The old man paused, looking around. Where was his nephew? A scowl crossed his face as he spotted the younger Chan, still lying on the ground. "Jackie!!!" he screeched.

The archeologist was on his feet in a heartbeat. "Yes Uncle."

"Go get Statue of Ho Long."

Jackie nodded, already twenty feet up the mountain. "Of course Uncle."

By the end of the day it was all settled. Daolon Wong, the enforcers, and the Statue of Ho Long were all on their way back to Section Thirteen for safe keeping. Though who knew how long they would stay there. For a secret organization it gotten broken into a lot. All that was left was to say their good-byes.

Uncle reached up to adjust his glasses, peering at Psyche suspiciously. "Are you sure you do not want Uncle to take care of strange cat-demon thing? Will not even charge."

"No!" Kai blurted, reaching out to shield the feline who was once again in kitten form. He wasn't quite sure what the chi wizard's magic would do to Psyche, and he didn't want to find out. "My familiar is fine just the way she is."

"Aiyee!" Uncle shouted. "Creature is your familiar! Why did you not tell Uncle this before?"

Kai blinked. "You didn't ask," he ventured at last. Even with that matter settled, the magician didn't feel completely relaxed until they were back on the plane. He couldn't wait to be back in Japan. Far away from all this craziness.

As the plane took off, the magician leaned over. "Never again," he whispered in his foster brother's ear. "They're just too weird." Even if he did intend to keep Uncle's number. On the off chance a hammer wasn't good enough to destroy Pandora, the other's knowledge would come in handy.

Huyu just grinned. It was nice to know his little brother did have some limits. And he would just keep it to himself for now that he had kept the dried lizard. He could lord it over Kai later.

_PTPTPTPTPTPTPT_

_Another section done_

_Next update should be in a week_

_But I make no promises_


	32. Chapter 32

_I own no one and nothing_

_X-Men: Despite being hated and feared by a world that doesn't understand them, the X-Men have sworn to use their powers to protect both humans and mutants under the guidance of their mentor, Charles Xavier. One of these mutants is Remy Lebeau, codename Gambit. _

_Gambit is actually royalty, after a fashion. He is the prince of thieves and heir to the New Orleans thief's guild. Like Kai, circumstances have conspired to see that he is intimately acquainted with the darker aspects of life. Sometimes it seems like this guy just can't catch a break._

**Chapter Thirty-two**

"Well," Gambit said, shoving a pile of papers away. "Now dat dat's settled we can get on to da good stuff." Smoothly, the mutant rose to his feet, offering Kai a hand up. "Just trust Remy and guaranteed, you'll have the time of your life."

Allowing the other to pull him to his feet, Kai looked up at his latest mentor curiously. "Why do you do that?" he asked. It did seem an unusual habit.

For a moment Gambit looked confused. "Do what?"

"Speak about yourself in the third person."

"Aah dat," Remy cocked his head to one side, thinking about it for a few seconds. Few people ever brought the matter up, just accepting it as one of his quirks. "_Trios_ reasons," he replied putting up a finger. "First, it be a habit," he raised another finger.

"Second, a _doctor_ of my acquaintance once said I was trying to disassociate myself from my less than stellar past."

The way Remy sneered the word doctor made it quite clear to Kai that whoever this doctor was wasn't someone he wanted to meet, ever. "And third?" the magician inquired.

Red on black orbs scanned the empty hallway they were walking down before leaning closer to whisper in Kai's ear. "Third," he breathed. "It really pisses people off." Abruptly, Remy straightened before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it up with the touch of one finger. "Plus," he added. "It make people think Remy be stupid."

Kai laughed before nodding in agreement. As a magician, he could totally understand and approve of manipulating how others saw you. He did the same thing all the time. It was amazing how the littlest things could cause a complete stranger to come to a snap judgment about who and what you were.

As the pair of thieves walked, Kai took a moment to reflect on his current trip. His foster Father had been quite clear when bidding him and Huyu goodbye, that their latest mentor was a bit unusual. Along with a subtle rebuke not to stare at his eyes.

The magician had understood why immediately after meeting the older thief. After all, it wasn't everyday that one meet someone with red on black orbs. Eyes that seemed more suited to a devil than a person.

Kai didn't care, at least not beyond the thought they looked really cool and preliminary plans for several pranks. Personally, the magician could not for the life of him figure out why people made such a big fuss about mutants. Yeah, they could be dangerous, but so could every other human on the planet.

And mutants were human. Besides, another portion of the thief-in-training's mind kicked in. It would be pretty hypocritical for him of all people to condemn someone else for being different. Kai was a Magician, with a capital M. His powers were not so different in the grand scheme of things. He was brought out of his private thoughts when his companion stopped at an unmarked door, punching in a complicated code to gain access.

"And here we are," Remy announced with a flourish as the doors slid open. He gestured for his student to precede him. "Welcome to the danger room." Gambit had been very careful about scheduling this session for when none of the other X-men were around. He didn't feel in the mood for another of Cyclops' lectures just now.

Kai studied the seemingly empty room for a moment before turning to look at his teacher questioningly. It didn't look all that special. But he of all people knew that looks could be deceiving.

A chuckle emerged from Gambit's throat and he took a couple more steps into the room, coming to stand at Kai's side. "Cerebro," his Cajun accented voice seemed to echo around the empty room. "Activate private program, Lasertag _s'il vous plait_. Hold for password."

The magician nearly gasped his blue eyes wide as the room shifted around him. They were holograms, like they had on that one show. This was awesome. A grin tugged on his lips. "Huyu is going to be so bummed he missed this."

Shortly after their arrival, his foster brother had hit it off with one of Gambit's teammates, a man named Logan. Kai hadn't seen hide nor hair of Huyu since. The pair of them were probably off somewhere discussing philosophy over a tea set.

On the other hand, the magician considered, remembering the awestruck look on the renegade samurai's face after Wolverine had reduced his brother's favorite training sword to just so many pieces of useless metal. They could be occupying their time in a more physical fashion. Kai just hoped they didn't completely destroy whatever area they were training in.

Not that Kai begrudged the other his choice, he had lost track of the number of scraps Huyu had pulled him out of using his skills with a katana. This is not to say the other was a bad thief. The raven haired teenager could pick a lock with the best of them. But it was clear the art of the blade was his brother's true love.

"Now," Remy said, gesturing to the room's current configuration. "I ain't going to insult you by saying you can't navigate a static laser field. However," the Cajun smirked. "Cerebro, activate program, password KP." Immediately the lasers came to life, flickering their way across the room.

Kai almost flinched, but held his ground when he noticed none of the lasers passed through his or Remy's current position. No doubt they had been programmed that way. Besides, they probably weren't at a high enough setting to do more than sting anyway.

Gambit turned in place to face his student, continuing the lecture. "People like to say setups like this are randomized," he drawled. "But in the world of electronics, dere is no such thing as completely random." His demonic gaze moved back to the lasers. "Dere always be a pattern, iffin you look long enough."

It took Kai a moment to realize the older thief had began to hum, foot tapping in time with the song he had chosen. Then Gambit moved. The magician had to admit he was impressed. His teacher didn't just avoid the lasers. He quite literally break danced his way across the floor. Remy even paused at one place to blow him a kiss. The program freezing when he reached the podium in the center of the room.

"Wow," the magician whispered. It was really all he could think of to say. He considered himself a good gymnast. Good enough to go pro if he didn't have other things planned with his life. But Gambit was amazing. Idly Kai wondered how many extra vertebrae the mutant had in his back. It wasn't natural for someone to move that way.

"Now now," Remy teased. "You being a bit premature. Show isn't over 'til you can do it too." He had confidence in the kid. Kai would be able to do it. Until then, he would just have to make the ultimate sacrifice, of laughing at his student's mishaps. A tough job to be sure, but someone had to do it.

_Got the idea of dancing through lasers from Kim Possible_

_It was a cool scene. You should watch it, if you haven't already._

_It is in the episode where a band gets kidnapped by the Seniors._


	33. Chapter 33

_I own nothing and no one_

_Though I do wish I owned Gambit_

_He is my favorite X-man_

**Chapter Thirty-three**

Once Kai had mastered the art of laser dancing, Gambit upped the ante. Instead of just the lasers, his pupil had to deal with both the lasers and holographic opponents. Honestly, the magician was having the time of his life. Playing with the faux police officers was fun. He found himself wondering how the real thing would measure up.

Of course the fifteen-year old wasn't alone. Learning to work as a team was important too. As time passed, Kai found himself thinking the situation wasn't quite fair. Somehow, he found himself feeling sorry, for their opponents. It didn't take a genius to figure out which group was winning this fight.

Kai dived over the mutants bo staff, landing in the forward roll. As Gambit took care the officer that had been behind him, the magician spun. A thin knife appeared in his hand like magic, and a quick throw insured one less threat. It was a beautiful shot too. The knife had hit the laser gun right in the center of the barrel. Almost simultaneously tripping another man, who bashed his head against the wall.

The magician almost winced at the sound. If this was how real police officers fought he would have to tone it down a little. It wouldn't due to hurt someone on accident. He intended to be a nonviolent thief. Usually Kai preferred to immobilize his opponents with sleeping gas and other such tricks, but that didn't work so well on holograms.

A few more minutes and it was all over. The only two people left standing in the room were Kai and Remy. As for the security system, lasers included, well it was in pieces, and Gambit hadn't even used his powers this time. When he had the teacher student pair had reached their goal even faster.

The mutant laughed as Kai walked over to the jewelry case, quickly bypassing the lock and lifting out the prize which would end the stimulation. The magician certainly had talent. It was like the other had been born for this kind of life.

Gambit found himself thinking it was probably a good thing the kid had his own plans. Otherwise he might be tempted to offer Kai a partnership, and the other X-men wouldn't be pleased about that at all. Hell, they wouldn't be pleased if they figured out he was giving Kai lessons in thieving period, which was just one more reason for him to make sure they didn't find out.

Kai only got a glimpse of the gem before it disappeared, along with all the other holograms, leaving he and his teacher alone in a plain room. However, with his memory, a glimpse was all he really needed. The magician looked at Remy, a bemused expression crossing his face. "The Hope Diamond?"

Gambit simply shrugged. "It is always good to have goals." Though honestly it was the gem itself that deterred most professional thieves, not the system protecting it. The Cajun had it on good authority that the Hope Diamond really was cursed. Idly he spun his staff over his fingers, not even thinking as his body fell into the familiar motion.

However, Remy did notice the sapphire eyes that watched the staff with something akin to fascination. "What?" he asked, letting one end of his favored weapon drop to the ground.

The magician took a step closer, kneeling down to examine the staff. In spite of everything the other had put it through, the metal was unmarred. The staff was in perfect condition. There wasn't a single dent, not even a scratch.

"I was just wondering about your staff." Kai reached out to flick the weapon, causing a faint ringing sound. "What's it made out of?"

"Adamantium."

Kai looked up, startled. "Adamantium," he echoed. "Like Wolverine's claws?"

"_Oui, _just like Logan's claws_."_

The magician returned to his examination of the weapon, his expression turning thoughtful. His brother's eighteenth birthday was coming up, and his, well their, Father was still using the Goemon family blade. Plus, in another eighty years, the magic would run out, this time for good now that the sister sword had been lost.

It would make a brilliant present, Kai considered, warming to the idea. "Do they make katana?" he inquired casually.

Remy just laughed, retracting his staff and slinging a friendly arm over the younger man's shoulder. "In dis world _mon ami_, there very little that can't be had, for the right price."

_Break_

Almost before Kai knew it, vacation was over and it was time to go back home. Something he was a little bummed about. He liked Remy. Huyu seemed a bit depressed as well, but that was probably due to the loss of his sparing partner.

"Good luck," Gambit told them, clapping the boys on the shoulder. "And don't forget to write." He was looking forward to hearing all about the pair's adventures, once they got past the training stage.

The magician smiled, grabbing his carry on. "We won't," he promised. Kai paused, his eyes flicking to his foster brother briefly. "And about the item we discussed?" he inquired circumspectly.

"'S in progress. Should make it to Goemon's place in about a month," Remy said casually.

Kai's grin widened. Prefect, just in time for Huyu's birthday. The sword had cost quite a bit, but it was worth it. He couldn't wait to see the look on his foster brother's face. Plus, it wasn't as though he was hurting for money.

Lupin and company had managed to funnel a fair bit of his Father's off-shore funds into a separate account for him to access. Their reasoning being that no one knew the money was there, and it was Kai's anyway. Those funds would help later, once he had started the search for his family's killers.

"Thanks," the magician murmured, reaching out for a manly arm clasp goodbye. "Take care."

"You too," Gambit returned the sentiment, shaking Huyu's hand as well. The two teenagers had just turned away when the scene was disturbed by an ear piercing scream.

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what this means_

_But you'll have to wait until the next chapter to be sure_

'_Til then, please review. It makes me happy._


	34. Chapter 34

_I own nothing and no one_

_Thought about putting in a summary for Detective Conan_

_But ultimately figured any MK fan would have to be brain dead not to know_

**Chapter Thirty-four**

Gambit spun, instinctively pulling the two teenagers behind him. Kaito appreciated the gesture, even if it wasn't really necessary. Not only were he and Huyu well able to defend themselves, but sad as it was, they had both seen much worse.

Broken neck, the magician diagnosed clinically from where he was gazing over Remy's shoulder. It was obvious the woman was dead. She had been killed instantly, long before she had hit the ground. At least, that was his conclusion judging from her appearance.

Inwardly Kaito snarled, retreating deeper and deeper beneath his poker face. To a place he rarely traveled, one where nothing and no one could ever touch him. He could feel neither anger nor fear, joy nor grief. Honestly, the magician worried about that sometimes. Worried what would happen if he had no one to pull him back.

Almost in response to his thoughts, a strong hand settled on the fifteen-year old's shoulder, and he turned to meet a pair of concerned dark brown eyes. Kaito summoned up a faint smile, his own eyes conveying an unspoken message to his foster brother. He was fine, not happy, but fine. Relaxing slightly, Huyu backed off, returning his attention to the scene of the crime.

"Stop!" a strong voice cut through the panicked chaos. "Everyone calm down." The voice held no less authority for all it was young. A slight figure emerged from the crowd and carefully knelt down by the fallen woman, confirming what he already knew.

The teenager stood, turning to face the crowd. Kaito's eyes widened slightly upon getting his first good look of the other. It was uncanny how much they looked alike. "You," the brunette ordered pointing at an older man. "Call the police, tell them there has been a homicide."

The man sputtered, regaining a bit of bluster in the face of the other's youth. "Just who do you think you are boy?" he sneered. Why should he obey this brat? He deliberately ignored just how much sense the teen's suggestion made.

The young man smirked, flipping a bit of stray hair out of his sapphire eyes. "Shinichi Kudo," he introduced himself. "Detective."

There was a faint murmuring from the crowd. Shinichi Kudo? The teenage detective of the east? They subsided after that, listening to the boy's instructions. It wasn't long before the police arrived. The group quickly got to work, cataloging the scene and interviewing the witnesses.

Kaito's eyes flicked to Gambit as the police detective moved on. Fortunately the officer either hadn't realized Remy was a mutant, or hadn't cared. "I am a little surprised," the teenager said softly, lips not moving at all. "That you are still here." If the heir of the New Orleans thieves guild had wished, he could have been long gone before anyone even wondered where he went.

Not that the magician was complaining about the older man's decision mind you. Police tended to take a dim (and suspicious) view of anyone that disappeared from a murder scene. It might have distracted them from the real killer.

Remy merely shrugged, one hand going up to casually pull out his hair band, the auburn locks falling around to shield his face. Ventriloquism wasn't a skill he had needed to cultivate with the jobs he usually did. "Don't got no reason to," he drawled, voice equally soft.

The two teens gave the mutant twin looks of disbelief, causing Gambit to laugh softly. No reason to? The place was crawling with cops. Reason enough for any kind of criminal to make tracks. Remy decided to explain it to them, one last lesson before the pair left New York.

His red on black orbs flashed briefly from behind his dark glasses. The man pulling out a deck of cards to shuffle them through his fingers with effortless skill. "Remy be a thief," he said bluntly. "The X-man know this, so does the Brotherhood. SHIELD, SAFE, the CIA, the FBI, and many others." He tilted his head slightly towards the murder scene, "including New York's finest."

Kai and Huyu looked even more baffled. "Then why . . ."

"But," Gambit continued as though they had not spoken. "It doesn't matter, because none of them can pin a thing on me." Oh, they had a whole list of things they suspected he had done. Ultimately though, the list wasn't worth the paper it was printed on, because the police couldn't prove any of it. Something he was sure gave them frothing fits at times, but Remy didn't lose too much sleep over that.

The magician snorted, creeping out from the mental hole in which he had hidden his true self. It was only the gravity of the current situation that allowed him to muffle his laugh. Kai had never been one to follow the confines of society, but even he recognized laughing while in the presence of a corpse was inappropriate.

"You know," Remy mused. "That was one thing I always admired about your Father. He got up in front of crowds of thousands, claimed his prize, and disappeared into the night." The mutant smirked in remembrance. "And not a single officer ever came close to identifying him." Gambit on the other hand, preferred not to be seen at all when he was working.

Kaito couldn't help but grin at that, feeling a surge of pride for his deceased Father. One day soon, it would be him who disappeared into the night, leaving frustrated officers behind. He was looking forward to it. The magician turned his attention back to the investigation just in time to witness Kudo corner the murderer.

Evidently it had been a small amount of powdery residue on the killer's clothes that had given him away. There was a lesson in that, Kaito knew. It was always the littlest things that could make or break you. In this case, it had been the later.

Then came the sob story as the man tried to justify his actions. None of the thieves were impressed. Boo hoo, so she had dumped the guy before taking up with someone else. That was hardly reason to kill someone. There were plenty of other woman out there. And worse of all, the guy claimed he loved her. If that were true she would still be alive.

Things wrapped up fairly quickly after that, the airport resuming its normal schedule. Still, Kai couldn't help but glance back at the teenager who could be his twin. Kudo was practically preening in front of the news cameras. He shook his head before looking back.

The magician freely admitted he had been impressed with the other's intelligence and investigative skills. But man, talk about arrogant. He found himself somewhat surprised no one had kicked the detective's butt in response to one too many jibes.

It was the type of arrogance that came from growing up thinking you were far superior to everyone around you in almost every way. And it might even be mostly true. Still, Kai couldn't help but believe that attitude was going to get the tantei into major trouble one day. The young thief had no idea just how prophetic that thought would turn out to be.

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_Hope you liked_

_And I'll try to update soon_

_Just a few more chapters to go one this one_


	35. Chapter 35

_I own no one and nothing_

**Chapter Thirty-five**

"Happy birthday Huyu!" the small group chorused. They had traveled to Paris to celebrate the eighteen-year old's birthday in style. In response to the cry, the young man smiled at his family, clinking his glass with the others in a toast.

The drink was nonalcoholic, sparkling cider to be specific. Like his foster brother, the raven haired swordsman did not drink. Not just because of the obvious either, he had decided a long time ago that anything that smelled that bad could not possibly taste good. Uncle Lupin had told him it was an acquired taste. But honestly, who would want to acquire it?

"So Kid," Jigen asked, adjusting his hat. "What are you going to do now that you have your mastery?" At the same time he gently nudged the proud father. An accredited master at only eighteen, now that was an accomplishment. He was a bit surprised Goemon hadn't crowed it to the world. He wouldn't have blamed him if he had.

Huyu merely shrugged. "As you said," he said calmly. "It is _a _mastery. There is always something left to learn." He was proud of his skills; he had worked hard to earn them. However, at the same time he had been brought up to believe that modesty was a virtue.

A muffled snort escaped Lupin's lips as he rolled his eyes. Samurai, they were all the same. Would it kill them to brag about their abilities once in a while. His dark orbs strayed to Kaito. At least the other kid hadn't been too corrupted. As much as he valued Goemon's friendship, the guy didn't have much of a sense of humor.

On the outside at least. Still, how did that old saying go? The one about still waters running deep. Goemon couldn't possible be that serious all the time. Then again, Lupin threw a quick glance at his longtime partner's solemn countenance before shrugging, maybe he could. The thief opened his mouth to make another comment only to freeze, mouth half open. "Aw shit," he swore. "It's Pops." Talk about bad timing.

Goemon and Jigen's heads snapped around. Damn it, they thought, it was. How had the other gotten here so fast? They had believed they had lost him back in India. In a split second, the three older thieves had moved one table to the right, taking their dishes with them.

Just in time too, as the inspector looked up, a predatory grin crossing his face. "Hold it right there Lupin!" Zenigata shouted darting across the street, a pair of handcuffs dangling from his tanned fingers. "You're under arrest!"

Jigen groaned, ignoring the slight creak of his knees as he quickly rose from the table. He really was getting too old for this. At the same time though, he knew he wouldn't stop. "Here we go again," he sighed, taking off.

Lupin just laughed. "Come on Jigen," he said, twisting to face the older man. "Doesn't it just make you feel alive?" Cheerfully he waved at their fervent pursuer. "Heya Pops," the thief greeted. "Lovely day, isn't it?"

"Tree," Goemon warned, snagging Lupin by the sleeve and yanking him to one side. A quick jerk pulled the dark haired man around so he was once again facing the direction he was running.

Jigen snorted to himself as they piled into a nearby car, quickly hotwiring it. The samurai should have just let him hit it; maybe then Lupin would pay more attention to where he was going. And yet, they were letting him drive. What the hell was wrong with them? The gunman wondered.

"Hey!" the inspector objected. "That's stolen property." He yanked a small journal out of his trench coat making note of the infraction. Then leapt over an iron wrought fence, stumbling slightly as he landed, not that it slowed him down any. Zenigata began to sprint up the street, swearing as he noticed a lack of other cars in the area.

"Interpol," he barked at a startled teenager, flashing his badge. "I am afraid I have no choice but to confiscate this, err vehicle." He nodded decisively, "in the name of the law." He yanked the push scooter out of the kid's hands, rolling his way along the path of his long time prey. All things considered, he was making good time. "I'll get you this time Lupin!" the cop shouted.

Kai watched the scene unabashed. He wasn't worried about being noticed. Honestly, he would have attracted more attention if he hadn't been staring. Things like this were not common, not so far as normal people were concerned anyway. Not the magician was normal, but then, who would want to be? Normal was boring.

The fifteen-year old had heard a great deal about Koichi Zenigata over the past five or so years. This was the first time he had ever seen the other in person though. The police inspector was a bit of a laughing stock among his own peers, who found his inability to catch a single thief pathetic.

Kai had a different view on the matter. Zenigata was neither incompetent nor stupid. The fact that he had remained one step (if that) behind Lupin for all these years was proof enough of that. Anyone else would have lost him years ago.

Not to mention that despite his failings where one specific world famous thief was concerned, the inspector was a highly decorated officer. He had put many, many different criminals away, just not the one he truly wanted. Age had not slowed the other at all, in spite of the silver streaks that had appeared in his hair. He seemed the type to keep going until he dropped.

The magician found himself reminded of Aoko's Father, Nakamori-keibu. Of course, he winced as a vicious round of expletives echoed up the street. That could just be due to their similarities in language; perhaps it was a trait of anti-kaitou's everywhere. Then again, Kai considered remembering the painfully polite Satoshi Hiwatari, perhaps not.

As the chase rounded a corner, Kai returned his attention to his meal. The food really was very good. He made a mental note to stop by if he was ever in this part of the world again. Finally though, he slid his plate aside, leaning forward to rest his chin on his hands. "You do know we didn't come to Paris just for your birthday."

Huyu smirked slightly, taking another sip of his tea. "Of course," a recently discovered bronze statue was being displayed at _Musee Rodin. _Fortunately, it was a small one. Not that its size in any way detracted from its value.

A similar smirk took up residence on Kai's face. He had thought as much, Lupin wasn't being nearly as sneaky as he thought he was. It had been a few minutes work to locate the plans in the hotel room while the older thieves where out drinking. "And are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

If anything, the smirk widened. Huyu felt the blood pumping threw his veins and he shared a mischievous look with his foster brother. A slight incline of his head was all the answer the younger teen needed. He was in. Plus, it would give him a great opportunity to test out his new sword.

"Excellent," Kai said quietly. He spun in his seat, signaling the waiter. "_L'addition s'il vous plait?" _he asked for their bill. It was time to get to work.

A few days later, in a small hotel room the trio had holed up in, Lupin spit out his drink narrowly missing Jigen's jacket as he stared at the headline. "I don't believe it," he gasped.

The gunman's annoyed look vanished as he peered over his partner's shoulder at the newspaper. _Rodin's Lost Work Stolen, _the front page screamed. Scanning over the article, it didn't take much to figure out who had done it. The perfectly round hole the police had discovered leading into the catacombs especially was a large clue.

"Why those," Jigen growled. "Those brats! They stole our target." At the same time though, he had to admit he was impressed, not that he would ever tell them that. "I bet it was Kai's idea," he grumbled.

Lupin laughed. "I wouldn't be so sure," he told him. "Kai's definitely had an influence on the mini-samurai." The thief looked over at the third member of their party. "What do you think Goemon?"

For the moment the swordsman was silent. Then he looked up. "I'm not certain whether to be angry or proud."

_PTPTPTPTPT_

_Wow, this has gotten long_

_But it is almost over_

_At least the first story_

_Hope you enjoyed it_

_And please review_


	36. Chapter 36

_I own no one and nothing_

_Hopefully I can get this to flow right_

_If not, that is what page breaks are for_

**Chapter Thirty-six**

"Kai," Hitomi beamed, leaning down to kiss her foster son on the cheek as he walked through the door. "How was your trip?" The aqua eyed woman was glowing. Understandable, considering she was five months pregnant. Needless to say, that had been a shock, though a pleasant one. At almost forty years old, the kunoichi hadn't been expecting to have another child.

After returning her grin, the magician groaned dramatically, dropping his travel bag to the floor. "That Carmen Sandiego chick is crazy," he announced stepping further into the room. "I don't care how tempted I am, I will never steal anything bigger than my head."

Huyu laughed from where he had appeared in the kitchen doorway. "Not even a bag of money?" he inquired teasingly. The eighteen-year old had stayed behind this time to train with his Father. He wouldn't have traded the experience for the world, in spite of the collection of bruises he had picked up. But, he had missed his brother.

Kaito paused, considering that. "Oh all right," he conceded, admitting his previous declaration was a bit impractical. "But nothing I can't carry and run with at the same time." He would leave the whole disappearing landmarks gig to the trench-coated female thief. Though why someone would want to steal a building in the first place the magician couldn't fathom.

The sixteen-year old stretched, working out the kinks in his back. The seats on that plane had not been at all comfortable. Once he had finished, Kai ghost stepped across the room, appearing almost magically at his foster mother's side. "And how's my little sister today?" he cooed, placing one hand on Hitomi's stomach.

"Sister?" Huyu objected. "How do you know it is a girl?" Not that he would especially mind a sister, but a boy would be better. He had enough problems with people flirting with Kai. The last guy to check out the disguise artist's ass had nearly lost a hand.

A mental image of a dark-haired young woman with his Kaasan's eyes and Fujiko's figure appeared and the samurai shuddered. That would be it, he knew. A single wrong move towards the hypothetical member of his family and that would be that. Murder one, on the bright side; his Father would probably help him hide the body. Huyu looked over at Kai, dark brown eyes meeting blue. "It will be a boy," he said flatly.

Kaito merely grinned, an expression akin to the cat that had just eaten the canary. "Just keep telling yourself that niisan," he told the other, patting him on the head.

The samurai jerked away, giving Kai an extremely suspicious look. Then, Huyu groaned. "You peaked, didn't you?" So much for a baby brother. Would it have killed his parents to burn the ultrasound photos?

Kai just grinned wider. "Maybe," he admitted.

Later that evening, the pair was sitting on the back porch while Kai sketched in a notebook, Psyche lying at his side. Huyu leaned over, curious, careful not to disturb the sleeping familiar. "What are you doing?" the swordsman asked. Drawing had never been among his brother's hobbies.

A pair of blue eyes blinked, Kai looking up from the paper. Quickly, he put on a few finishing touches before handing the pad over. On it was a sketch of a slender figure in a white jumpsuit, a dark mantle and hood shielding his masked features. A multi-compartmented belt was around his waist, his boots ending just below the knee. And behind the thief, for that was what he was, a long white cape flapped in the non-existent breeze.

Now it was Huyu's turn to blink. "Is this?" he asked.

The magician nodded. It was. He had already told the adults his intentions, which had lead to a massive fight with Lupin. The world famous thief had thought he was too young. Ultimately however, he had been forced to admit Kai was ready. In the grand scheme of things, a few more years weren't going to make a difference. Nor could he claim his ward's more mundane education would suffer. The kid could pass the exams any time he wanted.

"But," the swordsman frowned. "I thought you were going to take up your Father's mantle." Although, Huyu considered, Kai had never said that straight out. Still, everyone had thought it.

Kaito merely shrugged. "I was going to," he said. "But Snake would have to be a complete idiot to believe I am him, and a new outfit will make it easier for me to pass myself off as Dad's apprentice." In the long run, it wouldn't really matter if the Black Organization realized he was alive. However, the magician would prefer they not. At least, not yet.

Thus the whole cover story. It wasn't that much of a stretch really, to believe that the Kaitou Kid was training someone on the side. In any case, technically he had been his Father's student, and all the best lies had a grain of truth. "Besides," Kai grinned. "Kaitou Kid the Second-sama is way too much of a mouthful."

Laughing, his foster brother could only agree. Inwardly though, Huyu had more serious matters on his mind. When he sought out his Father that night, Goemon was less than surprised.

"You intend to go with him, do you not," the older samurai stated more than asked. He had seen this coming years ago. Really, wasn't that why they had sent the boys together in the first place? Everyone needed someone to watch their back.

Huyu merely nodded, kneeling in front of the man and removing his sword to place it between them. "Kai is my brother in all but blood," he stated softly. "It is only right that I make his quest my own."

Goemon sighed, closing his eyes briefly before leaning forward to kiss his oldest child on the forehead. "Then go with my blessing," he looked over Huyu's shoulder to where another figure stood, nearly invisible in the shadows. "Both of you."

_Finis_

_Yes, at long last it is over. Err, before you all kill me only meant this one is over._

_There will be sequels. I have decided to split them into episode form to improve flow and allow me time to write other stuff between them. I had no idea how long this story would end up when I started writing it._

_Next on the list is my long awaited X-men fic as well as a short story in the 'Kuroba 'Verse. So keep your eyes peeled, they should be up any day now. _


End file.
